We explain how to install an APK on Blustacks and, in this way, enjoy any Android application on your Windows computer.
We are going to explain the steps to install an APK on Bluestacks and enjoy your favorite Android games and applications on your computer. We show you all the steps you need to follow, from installing Bluestacks to downloading the APK file.
Bluestacks is an Android app emulator that you can download on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Thanks to it, all Android apps become compatible, so to speak, with your computer and you can enjoy their full potential. Also, you will be happy to know that it is a software optimized to run games. But how to install an APK on Bluestacks? Let’s find out step by step.
Index of contents
- To install an APK on Bluestacks, first meet the requirements
- Download and install Bluestacks
- Download the APK you want to install on Bluestacks
- Installing an APK on Bluestacks is very simple
- What is the use of installing an APK on Bluestacks?
To install an APK on Bluestacks, first meet the requirements
Bluestacks requires a series of minimum requirements for its software to work correctly and in a stable way. According to its official page, the technical specifications necessary to run the Android emulator are the following:
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 and higher
- Processor: Intel or AMD processor
- RAM Memory: Your PC must have at least 4 GB of RAM. (Note: having 4 GB or more of disk space is not a substitute for RAM.)
- Storage: 5 GB of free disk space
- You must have an account with administrator privilegeson your PC.
- Up-to-date graphics drivers from Microsoft or the GPU manufacturer.
On the other hand, the company has also published some recommended requirements, which are somewhat higher than the minimum, and which ensure optimal performance of the emulator. Are these:
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 and higher
- Processor: Intel or AMD multi-core processor with a single-threaded benchmarkof at least 1000
- Graphics: Intel, Nvidia, ATI, integrated or discrete GPU with reference benchmarks of at least 750.
- Make sure virtualization is enabled on your PC.
- Memory RAM: 8 GB or more
- Storage: SSD (or Fusion/Hybrid Drives)
- Internet: Broadband connection to access games, accounts and related content.
- Up-to-date graphics drivers from Microsoft or the chipset vendor.
- You can install BlueStacks 5 even if you have a virtual machine, such as Microsoft Virtual PC, VMWare Workstation, or Oracle Virtualbox, installed on the same PC. However, this system could present certain performance problems.
Download and install Bluestacks
If you have already confirmed that you more than meet the minimum requirements of Bluestacks, or even the recommended ones, the time has come to download and install the Android emulator. The truth is that it is a very simple process . All you have to do is open the browser and enter the official page of this program .
So, click on the Download Bluestacks 5 button and wait for the transfer to complete. When you already have the installer on your computer, double click on it and follow the steps.
Download the APK you want to install on Bluestacks
Now you have the Bluestacks emulator installed on your computer. It’s time to get the APK file of the app you want to deploy. Although in this case the usual warnings are not so imperative, because Bluestacks is a closed environment and neither your PC nor your mobile will be affected by a malicious APK , we also recommend that you go to trusted repositories to download Android applications.
One of our favorites is APK Mirror . There you will find practically any application that is available in the Google Play Store. Another place to download APK files from is Aptoide . In this last place you will also have at your disposal apps that are not necessarily in the Google store.
In any case, when you have decided where to download the APK file from, do so and save it to your computer’s internal memory.
Installing an APK on Bluestacks is very simple
So far you already have the emulator correctly installed and an APK file ready to be implemented in the emulator. The next step is to launch Bluestacks. Our recommendation is that you do it with administrator privileges so that everything works as it should.
If you don’t give the app administrator privileges, you’ll probably get an annoying error like the following:
When the emulator is running on your PC, go to the sidebar and scroll until you see the Install APK option .
Then, through the file explorer, select the APK file that you want to install. Opening it with Bluestacks will install it and appear in the emulator’s app launcher.
Alternatively, there are two other methods to install an APK:
- Drag and drop. From a file explorer window or from the Windows Desktop itself, select the APK file and take it to the Bluestacks window. Then, drop the file there and wait for the installation to finish.
- With a double click from any directory. When installing the emulator, the APK file type is registered in the name of Bluestacks. That means, by default, any file with this extension will be opened by the emulator. You can confirm that this is the case if the APKs you have downloaded appear with the Bluestacks icon. If so, by double-clicking on them, they will be installed immediately.
In both cases, the app icon will also be displayed in the Android emulator’s app launcher.
What is the use of installing an APK on Bluestacks?
Bluestacks is an option chosen by those who want to play their favorite Android titles on a PC. But it also allows you to enjoy some additional advantages. We can say that installing an APK in this environment is useful in cases like these:
- Try unknown apps. With Bluestacks you can test any APK you find on the Internet without fear of infecting your phone with a virus. It is an emulation environment that is separated from your PC, so your computer will not suffer the consequences either.
- Take screenshots in apps that don’t allow it. Thanks to the Windows capturer, it is possible to take an image from any app, even if it doesn’t allow it.
- Install apps that are not on Google Play. This emulator provides access to the Google store. But, if there is an application that is not in it for some reason, by following the steps mentioned you will be able to install it.