What is BlueStacks? Feature guide, safety tips

• BlueStacks is a popular and free emulator for running Android applications on PC or Mac computer.
• BlueStacks doesn’t exactly look like Android, but it’s easy to use and you can install Android apps from the Play Store.
• BlueStacks has modest system requirements and should work with computers running Windows 10, or at least macOS Sierra.
• Visit the Insider Tech Reference Library for more stories.

BlueStacks is a popular Android emulator for Windows and Mac. With BlueStacks, you can run virtually any Android application on your desktop.

What is BlueStacks?

Like any emulator, BlueStacks creates a virtual version of an Android device that runs in a window on your computer. It doesn’t look exactly like an Android device, but it looks good enough like a phone screen that even a new user should have no problem using it.

BlueStacks is free to download, install, and use. While you can use BlueStacks to run almost any Android app (it supports about 97% of the apps on the Google Play Store), the app has found its largest audience among Android users who want to play mobile games on their

desktop
.

Bluestacks

The app is optimized for gamers, but provides direct access to the Google Play Store, and any app can be downloaded using your Google account, just like on an Android device.

BlueStacks is a safe and reliable application

BlueStacks is a legitimate application developed and produced by a major company. As long as you install the program from the BlueStacks website, it is safe to install and use; Installing it from a third party site can be more risky.

Still, some anti

malware
The utilities can block the installation of the program even from the Bluestack website. As long as you are installing the official Bluestack program, it is safe to continue.

It is also completely legal, although some companies try to argue otherwise, the emulators are protected by US law and can be run just like any other application.

Key Features and Capabilities of BlueStacks

The BlueStacks home screen doesn’t mirror any particular Android version or phone screen, but it should be easy for any Android user to get their bearings.

The home screen includes an icon for the Google Play Store, as well as a collection of system applications (including settings). A toolbar on the side of the window gives you access to the various modes and functions of the programs, as well as allows you to adjust the volume, take screenshots, rotate the screen, and more.

There is also a separate settings icon for adjusting BlueStacks settings; this is different from adjusting the virtual Android device settings.

You can navigate using the Back, Home, and Recent apps icons at the bottom right of the toolbar.

The most popular BlueStacks features

• Easy application installation: You can install Android apps directly from the Google Play Store within BlueStacks in the same way that you would install any app on your phone. If you have an application’s .APK file (the application’s executable file), you can install it from the BlueStacks toolbar.
• Integration with PC devices– BlueStacks seamlessly integrates with your computer’s devices and peripherals, including mouse, keyboard, webcam, and more. These devices will function as if they were built into your Android device, and Android applications will be able to take advantage of them automatically.
• Game controls: Most Android games have a set of default controls that take full advantage of the computer’s mouse and keyboard, although you can tweak and customize these controls within BlueStacks.

• Multiple instance support: BlueStacks allows you to open the same game in multiple windows, playing it with two or more accounts at the same time. You can use this to play multiple games at the same time, to play the same game from multiple accounts, or even to play multiplayer games with yourself.
• Macros: BlueStacks includes a robust macro editor to automate tasks with keyboard shortcuts.