Installing and launching iOS applications on your computer. Best iOS Emulators for Windows
Not every person has a device on the iOS operating system or the money to buy it. What to do when you need to somehow launch a toy or program from this system without having the system itself? The answer is to use an iOS emulator on your PC. In today's article, we'll look at as many as seven iOS emulators for Windows.
iPadian 2
Why don't we start the list with iPadian 2, the most popular iOS emulator. Using this emulator, users can access the tenth and eleventh versions of iOS. It's worth noting that some of the emulators on this list are intended primarily for use by app developers, but iPadian 2 is designed for the most casual users who want to access the iOS programs and games they need.
Another rather interesting feature of the iPadian 2 is that it completely imitates iOS, which means that you can easily register your Apple ID and start using Apple services without having a proprietary device. Among other things, this also means that you have access to the App Store. It is worth noting that applications installed from the store through the emulator will also be displayed on your computer, and if you want to run them, the emulator will open.
Pros:
- complete imitation of the iOS 10 and iOS 11 operating systems;
- there is the ability to install OTA updates for the system;
Minuses:
- Not all applications are available to launch and work through the emulator;
- high consumption of system resources when the emulator is running;
- Knowledge of English is required.
Air iPhone Emulator
Air iPhone Emulator is a fairly compact program that is capable of emulating the iOS 8 and iOS 9 operating systems. It is worth noting right away that the program is distributed free of charge, so absolutely any interested user can try it out. The Air iPhone Emulator is definitely the one for you if you want the most authentic iOS experience, as the program's interface mimics the actual iPhone.
Quite cool features of this emulator include support for real voice calls for messenger applications, the ability to create contacts linked to iCloud, as well as the presence of controls present on a real iPhone, i.e. various taps, swipes and curtains.
Unfortunately, as with the previous emulator on this list, the Air iPhone Emulator cannot run every application from the App Store. Developers must personally rewrite the code of applications already released for the system so that they can interact with Windows. However, you will have access to the most popular applications on this platform.
Pros:
- iPhone-like user interface, which makes it much easier to use;
- absolutely free program;
- the presence of authentic control using gestures familiar to a smartphone.
Minuses:
- again, only those applications from the App Store that the developers have rewritten to work on Windows will run on the emulator;
- it is not possible to work with the iOS 10 and iOS 11 operating systems;
- There is no Russian localization.
Xamarin TestFlight
The Xamarin TestFlight emulator is primarily intended for software developers for the iOS operating system. If you are a regular user who just wants to access one or another program on this platform, then you should definitely take a look at the other emulators on the list.
Perhaps the main feature of Xamarin TestFlight is the ability to test the program being developed in real time: you can literally develop your application, and then instantly go to the emulated smartphone and test the things you need. Few software can do this.
Among other things, do not forget that Xamarin TestFlight is constantly supported by its developer, i.e. Updates and fixes are released periodically for the program. You will also definitely be pleased that Xamarin TestFlight is written entirely in Russian.
Pros:
- no paid features, components or advertising;
- Availability of Russian language;
- Among the functions you will also find access to the App Store;
- There is support for the latest iOS firmware.
Minuses:
- designed for software developers;
- paid software;
- Xamarin TestFlight can weigh several gigabytes, so it's definitely not compact.
Appetize.IO
If you just want to get acquainted with the standard functionality of the iOS operating system and its user interface, then the Appetize.IO emulator is definitely suitable for you, which you don’t even need to install on your PC, since it is an online service. Unfortunately, given the nature of Appetize.IO, you won't be able to install third-party software and will only work with standard apps and features.
Pros:
- The emulator does not need to be installed on your computer;
- accurate transfer of the interface and functionality of the iOS operating system;
- users can embed Appetize.IO into their web resources or application software.
Minuses:
- no Russian localization;
- no access to the App Store;
- all your actions in the Appetize.IO service are not recorded or saved in any way.
SmartFace
SmartFace is another good development environment for the iOS operating system. The most notable feature of SmartFace is that the user can emulate not only an iPhone, but also an iPad. There is a paid and free version of the program. Using the free version, you will receive limited functionality, advertising and the inability to use custom libraries. If you are an ordinary user who wants to see what iOS is like, then you can absolutely safely use the free version of the program.
Pros:
- fairly easy to use user interface;
- among the functions there is a hot key to call up the program window;
- Availability of Russian localization for the emulator;
- SmartFace is able to work with the latest versions of iOS.
Minuses:
- there is no possibility of installing third-party software;
- SmartFace requires a huge amount of RAM to operate;
- Unfortunately, the free version of the program has a thirty-day trial period.
MobiOne Studio
MobiOne Studio is the last and perhaps the simplest of all the iOS development environments on this list. The main advantage is extremely fast installation on Windows. Among other things, you will be pleased that MobiOne Studio is distributed free of charge.
The interface is partially similar to the Air iPhone Emulator: when you open MobiOne Studio, you will see a window with tools, which will be located on the left and right sides, and an image of the iPhone in the center. Unfortunately, only iOS 8 is supported and the developer stopped supporting the project a long time ago, so you shouldn’t expect updates.
Pros:
- incredibly simple interface;
- consumes extremely few system resources during operation;
- MobiOne Studio is quite compact and takes up little disk space;
- Despite only supporting iOS 8, you can access almost all the windows and functions of this OS version.
Minuses:
- the developer has officially stopped supporting the project and it no longer receives updates;
- MobiOne Studio user interface is in English only;
- there is no ability to install applications from the App Store;
iPhone Simple Emulator
And we have reached the end of our list. iPhone Simple Emulator is one of the most basic emulators in this article. If you decide to use this program, then know that you will have extremely limited functionality of the iOS 7 operating system at your disposal. Yes, that’s right, only the seventh iteration of this OS is available. Surprisingly, through the iPhone Simple Emulator you can interact with the App Store and even install programs from there. Among other things, you can use a browser.
Pros:
- quite stylish design, made in the form of an iPhone;
- The emulator consumes extremely few system resources and takes up little disk space;
- You can install many applications.
Minuses:
- there is no Russian localization;
- Only iOS 7 is available for emulation;
- you won't be able to open settings.
Finally
Unfortunately, on the Internet you can find only a few emulators that can fully emulate a particular iOS operating system. It's also disappointing that on these emulators you can't just go to the store and download the app you want. Let's take a look at Android OS emulators - the situation there is completely different.
So, if you want to use an iOS emulator specifically for applications, then iPadian 2, Air iPhone, iPhone Simple Emulator is your choice. For software developers - all other development environments in this list. Yes, through them you can also get acquainted with the interface and functions of iOS, but if you only need this, use the online service Appetize.IO.
Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Many of us prefer an Android device but wish to play the games or utilize apps that are strictly created for iOS users. However, not many are aware that there is a way to run a different operating system through Windows. Yes, the good news is that you can easily run iOS apps in Windows by using iPhone or iPad emulators. In this article, we are going to present you the 8 best iOS emulators for Windows 10, 8 and 7 PC to download today.
Read on to find out how?
What is an iOS Emulator?
Before we guide you about some of the best iOS emulators for Windows PC, let’s first learn what an iOS emulator is.
An iOS emulator is an electronic software that enables one computer to act like a different system called the “guest” and allows it to of the “host” system. In simple words, the emulators are like virtual machines that support the operation of applications that belong to a different operating system and run them seamlessly. Emulators have the capability to run apps from a specific operating system or multiple devices like iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, etc.
iOS Simulator vs. iOS Emulator:
The words may sound similar but are quite different in functions. “mimics” and copy the software and hardware environment from the host device. On the other hand, the simulators only “mimic” the software environment and are often used in studies and analysis.
The Advantages of iOS Emulators for Windows PC:
There are many benefits of using an emulator and although they were initially developed for the dev team to – their popularity among the general public is increasing daily which is why there are so many emulators in the market.
Some of the main advantages of iOS emulators include:
- The emulators can easily run on multiple devices.
- The emulators can be used to test and analyze apps and programs.
- Emulators allow the users to experience a different operating system which they are unable to purchase due to some reason.
- Emulators can help make purchase decision easy by allowing the potential consumers to get a feel of the OS before making a full payment.
7 best iOS Emulators for Windows 10, 8 and 7
Now that you have sufficient knowledge about emulators and their benefits, let’s talk about some of the best emulators in the market.
1. Xamarin Testflight – Test iOS Apps on Windows PC
Since Xamarin Testflight is owned by Apple Corporation, users can expect a lot of similarity between the actual iOS device and the emulator. The user-friendly interface and the advanced support – the Xamarin Testflight is very easy to install and download. However, it can only be used to test apps based on iOS 8.0 and above.
2. MobiOne Design Center Emulator for PC
3. Air iPhone Emulator for Windows 10, 7 & 8
Air iPhone is an alternate iOS simulator for Windows which is useful in replicating the iPhone’s graphical user interface. To run the Air iPhone, you will need the Adobe Air framework that will recreate the iPhone’s GUI on the Windows platform.
4. iPhone Simulator for PC
One of the best emulators for iOS, the iPhone simulator allows users to easily on their Windows PC. Since, purchasing an actual iPhone can cause a huge financial burden for many, with the iPhone simulator users can benefit from the same experience. It is also widely used by developers to track any bugs in underdeveloped apps before release.
Unfortunately, the only disadvantage of the simulator is that you are to access the Apple app store and a few apps in your Windows even though the graphics and interface is an exact clone of the actual iPhone.
5. Ripple – Best iOS Emulator for Windows PC and Mac
Ripple is another iOS emulator that has become a very popular iPhone emulator for PC and Mac users. It is usually used for app testing and also used for the development of new apps by the developers. Ripple is just a Google Chrome extension that allows you to run iOS apps inside the Chrome browser.
6. Smartface iOS Emulator for Windows 10, 8 and 7 PC
Smartface is an iPhone app emulator and tester that helps develop cross-platform native iOS apps for free. It's extremely easy to use. Just download and install the Smartface app in the host device and connect it to the Windows system. Make sure the Windows device you are using has an iTunes version available which will allow it to correspond seamlessly.
A debugging feature is also available within the app which can be used for real-time code changes and breakpoints, etc. Android users can also utilize the Smartface app as it’s also compatible with an Android device.
7. IPADIAN – iOS Emulator for PC
Perhaps one of the best iPad emulator for Windows is IPADIAN. It gives the of an iPad in their Android and Windows device. With this app, you can easily access multiple Apple features like Siri, TVOS, iMessages, and many more. The user-interface is very easy to use which is why many users prefer the model above the others.
8.Appetize.io
The alternative to App.io, Appetize.io is the most advanced of all emulators as it allows users to develop Android and iOS apps on cloud storage.
If you download the Appetize.io, the first 100 minutes are free. However, a charge of $0.05 per minute is applicable on using more than the free 100 minutes.
Buying an iPhone is a dream of many individuals. Unfortunately, most budgets don’t allow the luxury of owning one. This is where the emulators come in. With the emulators; you can easily experience the apps and programs that are limited to iOS users without putting a constraint on your pocket. With these emulators, you can access the “much-hyped” apps of Apple devices within minutes from your Windows PC. Best of all, they are mostly free.
How to run iOS apps and games on Windows? As a rule, all programs and games are developed for a specific platform. There are very few truly cross-platform applications.
So if you want to run your favorite Android or iOS toy or program on a desktop computer running Windows, you will need to wait until the developers deign to port it, or use emulators - special programs designed to run platform-dependent applications in a virtual environment.
After surfing the Internet, we found several emulators, but all of them, except one, turned out to be non-working.
This one turned out to be iPadian - a simple and nice emulator, or rather a simulator that allows you to run iOS games and applications in a virtual “Apple” environment on computers running Windows.
Like all similar tools, iPadian has a number of limitations, as a result of which some of the functionality of launched games and applications may not be available. Limitations also apply to control mechanisms (touch controls are not available) and the App Store (only the built-in store is available).
iOS app installation procedure
You can download the simulator web installer for free on the developer’s website www.xpadian.com. You will also need the latest version of the Adobe Air environment, which can be downloaded from the official resource get.adobe.com/ru/air.
After running the iPadian installer, the simulator will be downloaded and installed on your PC, and will launch immediately after the download procedure is completed. All subsequent launches are performed by clicking on the shortcut on the Desktop.
iPadian has a nice interface in the form of an iPad desktop with a set of icons for pre-installed applications. The set of programs is represented by a browser, a graphic editor "Photoshop", applications for working with social networks and several popular games like Angry Birds.
In total, there are 16 applications in total. Almost all of them work with a bang, and only the Youtube player stubbornly refuses to start.
If the built-in set of applications is not enough for you, welcome to the App Store. Of course, this is not a real Apple store, so we put its name in quotes.
There are still very few games and applications in it, and local installation from packages, as is done in a virtual machine, is out of the question in iPadian. It’s a pity, but for now we have to make do with this pitiful semblance of real iPhones and iPads.
By the way, attempts to create an emulator for iOS applications have been made before, for example, a couple of years ago the Kickfolio company launched the startup App.io, which was supposed to allow running iOS applications directly in the browser.
The idea gained many supporters, but it seems that all the developers’ plans remained unrealized.
Running iOS applications on a Windows computer may be necessary for programmers to develop and debug their own applications, as well as for ordinary users, for example, to play iOS games on a PC without having an iPhone or iPad. However, both are limited in their capabilities - only the official SDK is provided for developers, which can only run on computers running macOS, and even then only allows the use of applications with known source code.
Can ordinary people use applications for iOS 7, 8 and any other version of the mobile OS? While there are many emulators for Android, and some of them create fully functional virtual devices that are in no way inferior to real ones, the situation with iOS is much less rosy. There is only one working iPad tablet emulator - and even that one does not emulate, but rather simulates the software environment of the device. It is possible to launch applications using it, but with some reservations.
iPadian 2
This free iOS simulator is compatible with Windows XP, 7, 8.1 and 10 and is completely free. In fact, it is not an emulator of Apple's operating system - it only allows you to see the iPad desktop and use some applications that were rewritten by the program developers to run on personal computers.
Among the applications are the popular games Fallout Shelter, Clash of Clans, Plants vs Zombie 2, Clash Royale, Subway Surfers and others.
Just download the iPadian 2 executable file from the authors’ website here and run it, after which the iOS software shell will open in front of you with an interface completely copied from the iPad. Most of the screen will be occupied by an alternative desktop; at the bottom there will be a working panel with shortcuts to the main programs. At the top edge of the screen you will see a black bar with the name of the program and a button that closes the simulator and returns to the standard Windows desktop.
The iOS simulator does not completely replace Windows - access to programs on the computer is retained, and you can launch them, as before, through the Start menu. In general, the only disadvantage of the interface provided by the program is the presence of advertising - but today there is no escape from it in free products.
Using the iPadian 2, you can not only admire the iOS interface - launching applications is also available, but with restrictions. Due to the enhanced security of the Apple store, launching applications from the official App Store, even those you previously purchased, is impossible. Therefore, you will have to use the built-in application storage developed by the creators of the simulator itself. Of course, the list of available programs is not so large, but there are some popular ones.
Available applications include the following:
To launch and operate iPadian 2, you will need a computer with Windows OS no older than XP and sufficient RAM - at least 512 MB. You will also need the latest version of Adobe Air.
App.io
Another option for running iOS applications on a personal computer. It is a site http://app.io, running on HTML5 and allowing you to run applications directly in the browser. At the moment it is under development, so only a demo version of the service is available.
According to the developers themselves, App.io is a marketing tool, that is, it is aimed at iOS programmers, for whom the service will help demonstrate their products to potential consumers. Using the service, it will be possible to see the capabilities of applications without leaving the browser.
Thus, a full-fledged iPad or iPhone emulator with which you could get full access to all the features of iOS does not yet exist. We can only hope that the iPadian developers will expand the functionality of their brainchild.
If you are unable to do something on your own, we advise you to contact 24-hour computer help - pchelp24.com.
Greetings, dear fans of Apple iOS devices such as iPad or iPhone. In this regard, you and I have a lot in common, but oh well, let’s not get too lyrical, but let’s get down to our topic for today. And today we will talk about the iOS (iPad) emulator, to be precise, about the iPad emulator.
In general, the situation with emulators of the Apple operating system for PC Windows 7, 8 is sad. Unfortunately, there are essentially no full-fledged and fully functional iOS (iPad) emulators.
There are, how can I put it better, simulators, i.e. the programs do not emulate, but simulate the operation of iOS (iPad) on your PC Windows 7, 8. For example, an emulator would be better suited for launching games and applications; launching games on a simulator will be somewhat difficult, but still, to some extent, launching games available.
Running games on the iPad is also possible, but with minor restrictions, the App Store also doesn’t work quite correctly, or rather it doesn’t work at all, but try it, maybe your situation will be different, anything can happen.
iPadian is currently the only solution that will allow you, if not to fully enjoy iOS(iPad), then at least enjoy the visual component of iOS, i.e. appearance. you can from the official website, the link is located just below the text.
iPadian
You can download this application for your Windows 7 PC using the link - http://ipadian.en.softonic.com/.
Important: to install and operate the iPadian program (emulator) correctly, the latest version of Adobe AIR must be installed on your Windows PC. You can download and install the latest version of Adobe AIR using the link - http://get.adobe.com/ru/air/.
The iPadian program (emulator) does not require installation of Windows 7.8 on your PC. You just need to download the program, run its executable file and enjoy the beautiful look of iOS 7.