Wondering if you could utilize the Android Operating system for PC? Well, you have come to the right place on the Internet. It is certainly possible for you to have Android running on your PC. We have tried and tested some best Android OS for PC but it is very tough to get the same seamless experience on PC when compared to an Android smartphone.
Here, we will be discussing the best ways by which you can use the Android OS on PC. Do note that there is no full-fledged Android OS for PC, the ways or methods mentioned here would only help you run it on your PC to help you achieve basic tasks only.
Is there a Problem Installing Android Desktop OS?
When compared to full-fledged desktop OSs, Android as desktop OS lacks a lot of functionality. For instance, you can’t really manage the printers and it also does not support keyboard-centric interfaces like other desktop OSs do. Moreover, it does not support quite a few advanced desktop-centric technologies considering that you may have high-end hardware equipped.
In a nutshell, Android desktop OS will give you an incomplete desktop experience. So, you should consider running the Android OS through some emulators or as virtual machines using VMware.
Best Android OS for PC
Bluestacks
Bluestacks is an Android emulator to run apps and games on your PC. It is our best bet if apps and games are the only stuff you care about when running an Android OS for PC. It is the easiest and most reliable method among all the others that we are going to discuss in this article.
You just need to head over to their official site and download the setup file. There’s no advanced setup needed, you are just a click away after installing it. Also, with Bluestacks, you don’t need to worry about your hardware configuration, it will detect your configuration to optimize the performance as per the requirement automatically. You need to simply focus on trying out the apps and games without worrying about the configuration.
Android x86 Project
Android x86 is one of the most popular projects to realize as the Android OS for PC. It is an unofficial initiative by a group of developers (now grouped as a big community) to port Android OS for PC. It is based on AOSP with a few tweaks to make it compatible with the PC hardware (or architecture). You should be good to go if you have an Intel-powered machine. We are not sure about AMD-based chips for Android x86. Although, they are working to enable OpenGL ES hardware acceleration for Intel/Radeon/Nvidia/ (pstglia, mauro) and virgl(robh) GPUs as mentioned in their roadmap.
But, how do you install this on your PC? Is it the best Android OS for PC? Just as you would do for any other OS, you need to download the ISO file from the download section of their official site and look for the correct ISO file (32-bit or 64-bit) and then initiate the download.
It is very easy to have it installed. You can use the ISO file to directly run it live from the USB drive or you could have it installed through VMware. It does support dual boot but we would not recommend having it installed on your production PC (unless you have a PC specifically for experiments and stuff). You should definitely contribute to the project (or donate) if it worked for you just fine – because this is a very promising project which could make Android OS as a full-fledged OS for desktop possible very soon. The Android x86 project is based on Android Nougat 7.1 and Android Oreo.
Pheonix OS
Pheonix OS is based on the Android x86 project (somewhat) and another best Android OS for PC option. However, it has been customized for a different user experience and comes baked in with known bloatware (in the Chinese language – that’s the origin of it). If you do not mind the added bloatware it should be fine to use on a desktop. However, considering a lot of modifications have been made here, we would not recommend doing something important while having Pheonix OS installed.
Pheonix OS may prove to be one of the best Android desktop UIs. All things considered, you should try installing it as a virtual machine because it isn’t very secure to access your emails or perform a transaction – it is only useful if you like to experiment with it with no sensitive information associated.
Samsung Dex
Samsung Dex is a very professional alternative if you are looking to have Android desktop experience at your workplace. If you are wondering about how to install Android on PC or laptop, this isn’t going to cut it. You just need to get the Samsung Dex dock station for 150 USD and get going. You may utilize it at home but it would prove to be an inconvenient thing where it would require you to have a spare monitor, mouse, and keyboard – only for Samsung Dex. In either case, it would also be annoying for you to disconnect your existing monitor, keyboard and mouse from your desktop PC to use it with Samsung Dex.
So, it feels like a viable solution for corporate usage where the company only needs monitors, keyboards, mouse, and Bluetooth speakers to be assembled without worrying about the system – which will be essentially replaced by the Samsung Dex coupled with a Galaxy S8/S8+ or Note 8 smartphone. Samsung Dex provides a polished user interface with a lot of functionality. You get HDMI, USB 2.0, USB Type C and Ethernet ports available on it.
Of course, we would recommend this if you already own a Galaxy S8/S8+ or the Note 8. The 150 USD investment to get one of the best Android OS for PC is definitely worth it – unless you are okay with experimenting crazy stuff with Android x86 project.
How to Install Complete Android OS on a PC
When people think of running Android on PC, they often think of emulators. But today I’m going to show you how to actually install Android as a complete operating system on your PC. This has tremendous benefits over simply running an Android emulator on your desktop.
For one, the Android OS will be able to take complete advantage of your system hardware, whereas an emulator shares CPU / RAM resources with the native OS environment. This means that Android apps and games will run flawlessly and buttery smooth on PC hardware when Android is installed as its own OS.
Imagine, all your favourite Android apps and games running flawlessly on your 32” PC monitor, with mouse and keyboard support. I shouldn’t need to explain how awesome this is for games like Clash of Clans or Mobile Legends. If you’re already drooling at the bit, read on as I’ll walk you step-by-step through installing the Android OS on your PC.
Note: For this guide I am using Remix OS, but have linked to other Android-for-PC options. But Remix OS is the best in my opinion, and the latest versions come pre-rooted, so you can immediately start installing all your favourite root apps.
Requirements
- Android OS made for PC: You have several options here – the most popular are Remix OS and Phoenix OS. You can also try x86 Project or OpenThos, but for this guide I’ll be using Remix OS, because its highly optimized for PC hardware compatibility.
- A formatted USB drive with at least 8GB storage (optional, for bootable USB method)
.Exe Package Installation Method
There are two methods of installing Remix OS. If you’re running Windows 7/8/10, you can use the .exe installation tool. Just grab the 64-bit or 32-bit package from the Remix OS download page, launch the installation tool .exe, and follow the on screen instructions.
Now, you can either choose to install Remix OS to your HDD, which will let you dual-boot between Windows or Remix OS without a USB. Or you can install Remix OS directly onto a USB drive, creating a portable OS, and you’d just need to boot from USB in your BIOS / UEFI menu.
Choose Hard Disk or USB installation, depending on if you prefer a dual-boot system, or a portable OS that will boot from USB.
PRO TIP: If the issue is with your computer or a laptop/notebook you should try using Reimage Plus which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption.
When it’s done, reboot your PC and enter the UEFI boot menu. Simply hit the correct key during boot sequence to enter UEFI menu: F12 for Dell, F9 for HP, F12 for Lenovo, Option Key for MAC.
Disable “Secure Boot” if it’s turned on, and select Remix OS from the boot menu. That’s it!
Single-Boot USB Method
This method is for installing Remix OS as a single-boot OS. This means that Remix OS will be the only operating system on your PC. This may sound pointless, but since Android is designed to run smoothly on devices with low amounts of RAM and CPU power, you could bring life back to an old desktop PC. People report Remix OS running buttery smooth on desktop PCs with as little as 1GB of RAM.
You’ll need software that can burn / write .ISO file to USB and create a bootable USB –
You’ll also need a 3rd-party partitioning software that can partition your HDD from boot, like Hiren’s BootCD. Simply burn the .ISO from Hiren’s BootCD onto a CD or USB. For creating a bootable .ISO on CD, use something like Free ISO Burner or IMGBurn.
For creating a bootable USB for Remix OS installer, use Rufus that I mentioned before. In Rufus, make sure the following settings are enabled:
- File system: FAT32
- Quick format
- Create a bootable disk using ISO image
- Create extended label and icon files
Do not attempt to create a bootable CD for Remix OS, even if you made a bootable CD for Hiren. Use Rufus to create a USB!!
Now boot your computer into the UEFI / boot menu, choose the drive for the Hiren BootCD you made, and then choose “Parted Magic”. Launch GParted and create a new Partition Table, and a new ext4 partition, using all available HDD space. Save/Apply and reboot your PC into the UEFI / boot menu again.
Now choose the USB drive containing your Remix OS installer. A Grub Boot Menu will appear, so press E on your keyboard when Resident Mode is highlighted.
- Now set boot flag to INSTALL=1. You need to look for SRC= DATA= CREATE_DATA_IMG=1 and change it to SRC= DATA= INSTALL=1
- An installer wizard will appear, so follow along closely now.
- Choose the target drive for the OS installation – usually it will be sda1.
- Choose “Do not format” and agree to “install Grub Boot Loader”. Also choose to not allow read/write permissions for the /system folder.
- Press ENTER key and the installation will begin. Grab a coffee, and when it’s all done, reboot your PC. Now grab another coffee, because the first time booting Remix OS will take around 15 minutes.
- When it’s all done, you’ll be taken to the Setup screen, which is almost exactly like turning on a brand new phone. You’ll select your language, user agreement, WiFi setup, activate your Google account, etc.
- Enjoy your new Android operating system on PC!
Wrapping Up – Android OS for PC
You may find a lot of Android distros available for PC. But, only a few of them (the ones mentioned in the article) does the trick being the most tried and tested methods to get the Android operating system for PC. If you are someone who does not like handling an ISO file with a virtual machine setup, Bluestacks or Samsung Dex is the way to go. If you are alright using virtual machine setups, you can try either the Android x86 project (recommended) or the Pheonix OS.
Let us know your thoughts on how to improve Android as a desktop environment, the best methods you follow, and some interesting Android desktop OSs which we didn’t know about in the comments below.
Author’s Opinion regarding the Android Operating System For PC
The Android Operating System For PC has very strong features, while considering the security purpose, priority is very high. No VPN or RDP are required for the said purpose. In some cases, emulator also working fine and middleware software also have the important role for smooth functioning. Therefore, author recommended the Android Operating System For PC for your personal use and has no issue regarding the installation on PC (Windows and Mac). I hope you also use it without any trouble, if you have any issue, please mentioned in the email, we will provide you answer with proper solutions. Please like and share with other, we did lot of efforts during the collections of the software for your download.
