Installing and launching iOS applications on your computer. How to run iOS apps and games on Windows
How to run iOS apps in Windows PC or What is the best iOS emulator for Windows to run iOS apps in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 computer are some of the widely searched terms over the internet, and that's the main reason for us to bringing out this iOS Emulators for Windows guide.
Apple App store is having a huge collection of iOS applications and games. If you played a game or app on your friends iPhone and want to play it again but don’t have an iOS device then you can use to play iOS games on PC. The iOS emulators are softwares which help one in running all the applications and games available for iOS devices on Windows computers.
You just have to install and you will be able to run all your favorite iOS applications and games on your Windows computer. There are many different iOS emulators available on the web for iOS and today we are going to share top 7 best iOS emulators to run iOS Apps on Windows PC.
But before browsing the complete list of iOS emulator to run iOS apps in Windows 10/8/7 operating system, let’s find out in details – what is iOS emulator?, What is the difference between Emulator and Simulator?, and What are the important uses of iOS emulator?
What is iOS Emulator?
Is a software which will help you in running any game on your Windows computer. You can easily install on any Windows computer or laptop and access all the iOS games and applications for free. Not only you can use the applications and games which are available in the Apple iTunes App store but also test the iOS apps and games which you are going to develop for any iOS device.
In this extensive guide of the best, you will be able to find out some very exclusive iOS simulator and emulators for iOS which are absolutely free and quite safe to download.
What is the Difference Between Emulator and Simulator?
A lot of people get confused between a simulator and emulator whenever they read the guide of best iOS emulator for Windows computer or best for Windows computer. Simulator and Emulator sound the same but both these terms are different.
An emulator is considered as a replacement of any original device like iPhone or iPad. Using , you will be able to run the same applications and softwares of original device e.g. iPhone or iPad. There is no need of modifying the software as the only thing needed is installation of the software and you are good to go. All the non-iOS users who want to run iOS apps and games use iOS emulators for Windows.
Simulator will set up similar environment just like the Operating system of original device but doesn’t provide access to hardware of the device. This is one of the reasons that some applications don’t work on for Windows. iOS simulators will run the code smoothly and will launch the app within a few seconds.
Developers prefer to use iOS emulator for PC instead of iOS simulators because of the ability to test the applications and user friendly interface. Now that we know what is the difference between iOS simulator for Windows and emulator for iOS? So, let’s find out important uses of iOS simulator.
What are the Important Uses of iOS Emulators?
There are many important uses of iOS simulators or iOS emulators for Windows. We have listed some of the important uses of iOS emulator for PC below:
- You can test the iOS apps when you are developing them using the iOS emulator.
- Mobile app simulator will help you to run the application in multiple devices which are having the same operating system.
- You will be able to analyze your application and also find out the issues which are present in your application during the testing phase. This will help you in getting better product in the end.
- You can test the application with all the developer tools which you can only access using a simulator.
- If you love to learn about coding then you can enjoy the Xcode development experience. The iOS developer program will help you in providing more information on how to code better and more efficiently.
Top 7 Best iOS Emulators to Run iOS Apps in Windows 10/8/7
If you have already fed up by trying all the possible methods to run apple apps on Windows PC without iOS emulator and now looking for a best and very powerful iOS emulator for Windows 10, 8, or 7 operating system then below explained list of iOS emulators to run iOS apps on Windows PC is just perfect for you.
There are plenty of emulators for iOS with some very extraordinary features available on the internet and some of them are listed in this “” guide. If you want to use the best iOS app emulator to run iOS apps on Windows computer, you can download any mobile emulator for iOS from the list below.
So, let’s check out the list of best iPhone Emulator for Windows and iPad Emulator for Windows operating system:
(1) iPad
iPadian iPad Emulator is the most popular and the best iOS emulator for Windows PC. You can use this emulator on any version of Windows PC and play all your favorite iPad games and applications. The emulator supports iOS 9 which is the latest iOS operating system available out there. You can download this iOS app emulator for free from its official website.
iPadian comes with user friendly interface and will provide you complete iPad experience on your Windows computer. A lot of app developers suggest iPadian as it comes with a lot of advanced features and is highly customizable.
Donwload iPadian iOS Emulator right now and brings all your favorite iOS apps to PC. Also let us know via the comments – Are you happy to use iPadian iPad Emulator on your Windows Computer?
(2) MobiOne Studio
MobiOne Studio is another iOS emulator for PC. You can use this iOS emulator for Windows to run all the iOS games and applications for free on your Windows computer. If you are into app development you can test your newly developed games using MobiOne Studio. Not only can you use this app studio to develop iOS apps but also Android applications and games. All the applications are built on HTML 5 which you can use anywhere and are compatible with multiple devices.
MobiOne Studio will allow you to share the application, build status notifications on your desktop as well as will allow you to configure the application on your iPad and iPhone. You can also customize the icons of the applications and check the status of the application which you are downloading in MobiOne studio. You can download and use the mobile app simulator for free on any version of Windows operating system.
(3) Air iPhone Emulator
The next iOS emulators to run iOS apps on Windows PC is Air iPhone Emulator. The emulator or we should call it mobile app simulator will replicate Graphical User Interface of iPhone. In order to run this mobile app simulator you need to install AIR framework. Air Phone emulator is not fully developed application which is why the apps which you will run on this emulator might look bit different.
You will get complete interface of iPhone with this iOS emulator for Windows but if you are a or tester you might find it little difficult to test the applications. There are not a lot of advantages stated of this emulator but if you want to experience the user interface of iPhone on your Windows PC you can use Air Phone Emulator.
(4) iPhone Simulator
Using iPhone Simulator, you will be able to access all the iOS games and applications on your Windows computer. If you are a developer and are developing an app you can test it right away using iPhone simulator as the software allows you to test the applications in beta stage. If you are not able to afford an iPhone then iPhone simulator is the best option which you are having as you can run all iOS games and applications.
The graphics which you are going to get on iPhone Simulator are of very high quality and you will get exact iPhone interface on your computer. iPhone Simulator is the must download iOS emulator for Windows if you want to use your computer screen as your iPhone or iPad device’s screen.
(5) Xamarin Testflight
If you are looking for the best iOS emulators for windows which come with user friendly interface and advanced support, you need to use Xamarin Testflight emulators for iOS apps. You need to shed a couple of bucks in order to use this emulator as it is a premium one.
Once you have downloaded and installed this amazing iOS emulator to run iOS apps in Windows PC, you can enjoy all your favorite iOS games and applications on your Windows computer without any interruptions. The Xamarin Testflight emulator is compatible with all the versions of Windows operating system.
(6) iPad Simulator
As the name of this simulator suggests, iPad Simulator will allow you to run all the iPad games and applications. iPad simulator is basically a Google chrome extension which will work in Google Chrome as Cloud OS. You can even use iMessage application to send messages to your friends for free using iPad Simulator.
If you get a reply from your friend you will get a notification on your computer. If you are using a lot of applications you can use the search feature to find the app which you want to use.
(7) Smartface
Last but not the least is Smartface App Studio, the iPhone emulator which can be used to test the applications which you are building and developing. You get debugging options for the iOS applications which will help you in getting better flexibility and will help in development of applications.
The Javascript library is going to help the developers in development of native iOS applications. Smartface emulator allows you to perfectly emulate your iOS and Android application on a Windows PC.
Do you want to run iOS apps on Windows? You are not alone; many users ask this question. Officially it is considered impossible. Although, there is such a chance - to use an iOS emulator.
Beautiful, intuitive and aesthetically pleasing as well wide choose high-quality applications have earned iOS many fans. Since Apple does not allow the use of an open application market, access to App Store limited only to your own devices. Therefore, to run such programs on Windows, you will need an emulator that provides you with a similar gadget from Apple.
IOS emulator for Windows - iPadian
iPadian is a free iPad simulator for PCs running Windows XP or higher. This application is simply copied to your desktop and does not require installation. You can simply download the file from the official website, unpack the archive and run the ipadian.exe file. It launches an alternative desktop that looks and behaves like main screen iPad.
On this new interface, you will find a bar at the bottom of the screen and a button on the right top corner, which allows you to exit the application. At the same time, you still have access to Windows, which is opened by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner. The app is ad-supported, so you will occasionally see JavaScript pop-ups.
Access to the App Store
This iOS emulator does not allow you to download applications from your iPod because they are encrypted using Apple's FairPlay DRM technology. However, the iPadian developers have created a software repository that currently contains just over 300 hundred popular games and applications - Facebook, WhatsApp, Angry Birds, Cut The Rope and much more.
iPadian also works great as an iOS emulator for Windows 7 - many Apple programs turn out to be fully functional when tested. In particular, the following applications were tested by users:
iPadian Instagram allows you to login to Instagram using the web API. So while you can view your photos and change your account information, you won't be able to download any photos.
Spotify
Among the 34 music apps available on iPadian, Spotify is one of those that works very well.
Cut The Rope
Games like Cut The Rope or Angry Birds work and allow you to complete many levels without problems.
Facebook and WhatsApp
However, some users note that the Facebook application does not always work. When loading, it freezes when it tries to connect to the server, and often breaks when the connection attempt fails. WhatsApp also has its share of problems. In fact, this is an inferior application. iPadian uses a free web interface for WhatsApp, allowing you to send someone a free message right from your desktop. Other services it usually uses are not working.
System requirements
Minimum specifications to run iPadian iOS emulator on your Windows PC:
OS version XP and higher;
At least 512 MB of RAM (however, at least 1 GB is recommended for best performance);
Availability of the program Adobe Air installed on your PC.
Conclusion
iPadian is not as full-fledged iOS emulator as BlueStacks for Android, for example. The most this application can do is simulate the appearance iOS devices, and at least able to use a couple popular programs and games. But despite this, it does not have touch screen support, so you will not be able to use Windows monitor 8. For now, you're limited to keyboard and mouse controls. Unfortunately, a full-fledged IOS emulator for Android and Windows has not yet been created these days.
It would seem that there is no need to look for emulators that will allow you to use applications from your phone on your computer, but now this question is quite relevant. You can find several such applications on the Internet, Electric Mobile Simulator (Lite) ( full version is paid and only works with latest versions operating systems) and an analogue under the simple name iphone (which has more disadvantages than advantages).
But if you are one of those people who want to try running applications created specifically for iOS on your computer, then it is best to give preference to the iOS emulator of applications and games for Windows - iPadian.
The iOS interface boasts beauty, aesthetics and is intuitive; in order to access such applications, you will have to use the services of an emulator that creates a virtual gadget to support the applications.
iPadian is free iPad a simulator that is ideal for use on all versions of Windows, starting from XP.
How to install iPadian on PC
In order to start working with iPadian, you don’t have to spend a long time and tediously fiddling around with the installation; you just need to copy the application to your computer (it is advisable to store it on your desktop). The application is available in the official version, after downloading and unpacking - ipadian.exe will launch certain version an alternative desktop that will be identical to the one used on the iPad.
Working panel will be located at the very bottom, there will also be a button that allows you to quit working with the application and return everything to its place. While working with iPad, you can safely use other functions of your own operating system; access to it is maintained through “Start”. One of the disadvantages is annoying advertising that will sometimes appear on the screen, but these are modern realities - advertising is now everywhere.
How to use iPadian
I would like to disappoint you a little - downloading applications for iPad will not be available, they are all encrypted with DRM FairPlay, this technology was developed by Apple specifically to protect its products. But this is where the problems end, thanks to the iPadian developers - you can get access to a special storage where you can find many popular and in-demand applications.
What applications can be installed using iPadian and how exactly they will work:
Some system requirements
- OS no lower than Windows XP
- 512 MB RAM
- Availability of Adobe Air application
Here is a video review of a brief overview of the iPad program:
Conclusion
You will have to wait a very long time for a full-fledged emulator; this one allows you to use popular applications only superficially, but still iPadian is the best iOS emulator of its kind for a PC; there are simply no other similar ones. The developers are trying very hard to increase the efficiency and performance of iPadian; a modified version of the program has already been released - iPadian 2.
It so happens that finding an iOS emulator on Windows OS is associated with certain difficulties if you are not one of the developers software who have all the necessary means. The official emulator, unfortunately, only works on Mac OS. What should the rest of us who use Windows OS do? Several emulators have been written especially for all those who suffer, which work quite well and can satisfy minimal requests. These are exactly what we will talk about in this article. Go!
Using the application, you can explore the iOS interface and try out some applications
iPadian 2
This program is a free product that is compatible with all versions of Windows. This utility allows you to work with a virtual iPad and try out some applications from a limited list on it. But don't rush to get upset. This list contains some of the most popular programs and games, so there will be something to look at, poke around and try. There is no ability to install any applications yourself. Visually, you will see an exact copy of the iOS interface for iPad, so we can say that everything looks natural, like on a real desktop of an Apple tablet. As you can see, the functionality is limited as much as possible. However, the iPadian 2 copes with the task of “introducing” the user to the iOS interface.
App.io
This is not a typical emulator, but you don't have much to choose from. The special thing about App.io is that it is an online emulator. This project appeared recently and is more focused on developers rather than ordinary users. The only thing App.io can offer is to evaluate the application directly in the browser. In this emulator, as you can see, the capabilities are even more limited than in the iPadian 2.
An iOS emulator on a PC may be needed by both application developers and ordinary users who want to try the system for Apple mobile devices on their computer. Unfortunately, there are virtually no programs that provide this opportunity.
But there are iOS simulators. Many users confuse emulation with simulation, but the way the processes work is very different. The emulator executes program code in a familiar manner iOS environment, that is, it is a complete replacement of the original device, while the simulator copies only the outer shell.
iPadian and iPhone Simulator
Most users know only one iOS system emulator on PC - iPadian. In fact, it does not emulate the system, but only demonstrates the iPad desktop and offers to use some applications: play Angry Birds, watch a video on YouTube, surf Facebook, etc. In the settings you can only change the desktop background; other system parameters are unavailable.
The iPadian's system requirements are low:
- Windows XP and higher.
- RAM 512 MB or more.
Each application opens in a new window, and you can freely switch between them. The program is distributed free of charge, making money by displaying advertisements to users. So be prepared for advertisements to appear asking you to download something.
Essentially, iPadian is a regular iOS simulator. Here you can admire the interface of the Apple system and use the built-in applications. You cannot install and launch applications from the App Store, even if you previously purchased them from original device– the enhanced security of the Apple store is to blame.
iPadian offers a list of built-in HTML5 games. You can view it through the App Store application. This is not to say that the list is diverse, but spending a few minutes playing an interesting game is quite possible.
iPhone Simulator is another simple simulator that offers even fewer features than the iPadian. The interface of the old system is displayed here, there are no built-in games and applications, and the Internet does not work.
Essentially, iPhone Simulator can only be used to explore the interface. The problem is that the settings do not have most of the sections, so even from photographs on the Internet you can glean more information than in this simulator.
Conclusion
There is no full-fledged iOS emulator, and we can hardly expect one to appear in the near future. Unlike Android, iOS - closed system, so that third party developers cannot access it. As for the available tools, there is nothing better than iPadian, despite the extremely limited functionality of the program. The simulator developers are trying to add new features, but you can’t expect a real emulator from them - at most, an improvement of the existing simulator.
If you are going to develop games and applications for iOS, you will have to use the Xcode integrated environment for this. It only works correctly on macOS, but you can manage to run it on Windows. To do this, you will have to create a virtual machine, install macOS on it, then install Xcode there and use the program in an emulated environment. There are no other solutions to the problem - except to buy a MacBook.