It should be noted that the iOS emulator apps we list below are different than the technology Apple has developed to allow iOS developers to easily port their iOS apps to the Mac. That technology is not emulation since it doesn’t allow the iOS operating system to run on the Mac. Yes, we are talking about iOS Emulator, iOS Emulator or iPhone Emulator is a software that creates an ecosystem to use iOS apps from our computer itself. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad don’t worry, you will be still able to use iOS Apps on your Windows laptop or Mac computer with the trick mentioned below.
Have you ever yearned for trying out iPhone apps? Are you running short of money to buy an iPhone? Then putting your hands on the iPhone emulators is the ultimate choice you are left with. Now you might be wondering what an emulator is, right? Today in this post, we will discuss the best iOS emulators and simulators for Windows system. But before coming to that let us discuss what exactly an emulator is.
Emulators make it easy to run and test iOS apps on Windows PC or Mac. These are especially useful for developers who want to know how a specific app will appear and function on the iPhone and iPad. Emulator software works by replicating Apple’s design, interface, and some limited functionality. Mac users can launch their Xcode project apps straight away. The ability to check web apps by accessing Safari inside Xcode is what gives Safari an advantage over other free iPhone emulators. Pricing plans: Free.
An emulator for iOS is a kind of electronic program that enables one computer to act like a different system called the ‘guest’ and can run the software and apps of the guest system in it. Emulators are specifically designed for developers for testing apps and other programs. In other words, they are the virtual machines that support the operation of applications that belong to a different operating system and run them seamlessly. Emulators can run applications from a specific OS or multiple OS also like iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, etc.
iPhone apps to computer
It enables the Windows system to run any iPhone/ iPad apps and games in it. You can run them from your Windows computer or laptop and access them flawlessly as you run them on your Apple devices. With emulators and simulators, you can test run your apps while developing them and debug them.
Use of iOS simulator
Besides accessing the iOS apps and games, an iOS emulator benefits you from a number of features:
Advantages of using an emulator
An emulator provides you several advantages that a developer needs.
Differences between Emulator and Simulator
Although both of them sound the same, still there is a variation between them.
An emulator works as a replacement for the original device. It can run the same software and applications of the original device without modifying them and it can’t even point out the difference in the duplicate system. Emulators are basically used by non-iOS users who want to experience the iPhone/ iPad interface without having the original device.
On the other hand, a simulator can set up the similar environment as the original device’s OS but doesn’t endeavor to replicate its hardware. Due to this reason, some applications might not work in simulators or may run differently. A simulator often runs the code faster and smoother and it launches instantly within seconds.
Compared to the specifications, an emulator is mostly preferred by users and developers to test drive apps due to its user-friendly features and flexibility.
Smartface is an iPhone app emulator and tester that helps develop cross-platform native iOS apps. It is a full-featured enterprise mobility management platform that reduces cost, increases productivity, removes dependency and provides strategic mobility solutions. Smartface provides full debugging options for iOS apps which help the app developer flexibility to work with it and develop apps. The main features of Smartface are:
Air iPhone is an alternate iOS simulator Windows which replicates the iPhone’s Graphical User Interface. To run Air iPhone you’ll need the AIR framework for the application to the program. Although Air iPhone is not a fully functional application, you will find a difference in running apps in it and the real device. It completely reproduces the iPhone but developers might find trouble in testing their apps on it. Reviews do not state too many advantages about the app but still people who want to experience the iPhone can use it smoothly.
MobiOne Studio is an iPhone simulator for Windows cum emulator for iOS which works for developing cross-platform mobile apps for iOS and Android systems. Its apps are built on HTML 5 hybrid native app model by means of Cordova/ PhoneGap open source framework. MobiOne can easily build native iOS apps and can be used anywhere and any compatible device. With MobiOne you can build status notifications on the desktop, share app and web app links via email, configure your app to run on iPhone and iPad, app branding with custom icons, view status of your app with the AppCenter Progress view and automatically download the app installation file on your computer on completion of a project. MobiOne Studio can be downloaded and installed easily for free on Windows PC. X264 for mac torrent.
It is a Google Chrome extension that works as a cloud OS and a simulator in Chrome browser. This extension provides you an iPad interface on your PC and you can use the iMessage app to send messages to your friend using an iPad. On replying, you’ll get notifications within the extension which is one of the best features it carries. If you have a problem buying an iPad due to its high cost then this is the ultimate option. The key features of this Chrome extension are:
It is one of the best emulators for iOS that lets you access to iPhone apps and games on your Windows PC. With Simulator, you can test drive underdeveloped apps to find out the major issues in it. Since purchasing the iPhone leads to a major financial decision you can use this app as a virtual iPhone for your desktop. It contains high-quality graphics and interface which exactly an iPhone clone. The major disadvantage of this simulator is you cannot get access to the Apple App Store and few of the apps cannot be accessed by default. It is a free program which can be easily installed on your computer.
Therefore, what we can see is iOS emulators works the best when you want to experience an iPhone/ iPad/ iPod and its native apps on your PC. An emulator supports all versions of iOS, iPhone and iPad, including iOS 4, iOS 5, iOS 6, iOS 7, iOS 8, iOS 9, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPad Air. This stands as one of the greatest advantages of using an emulator and simulator.
Emulators come free of cost and support all versions of Windows Vista and later. So if you are having issues with purchasing an iPhone or iPad but still you want to put your hands on iOS apps then emulators are the best alternative for your requirements.
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emulators for iOS
Do you want to run iOS applications on MAC? This can be done using iOS Emulators. If you don’t own an iPhone but want to try an interesting application available only for iOS then you can use iOS Emulators to run that app on you MAC. Before knowing more about iOS Emulators, let me tell you about emulators. Emulators are a great way to strike out in the world of iOS. Generally, an emulator refers to a hardware or software that enables one system to operate or behave like another system. Emulators can be used for MAC. Emulators are an imperative tool for developers. They help the developers to know how their app will look and behave or respond. These are the programs that help to create a virtual iOS on the operating system to run a particular program. It’s important to note that emulators only create a virtual environment for software but the hardware remains the same. Sometimes it may happen that various apps require a specifichardware; such apps may not work properly. For example, if an application requires touch feature and your MAC doesn’t have it, then that particular app will not work on your MAC. Emulators also need a good quality RAM (minimum 4 GB RAM). One must keep in mind that more the RAM is smoother will the emulator work. An iOS Emulator refers to the software that runs on MAC and allows the users to create a virtual environment for mobile operating systems. By using an iOS Emulator, the user can install and run all the apps and games as can be done on an iPhone. App or game developers use iOS Emulators to properly scale or test their applications. Various iOS Emulators for MAC available in the market are listed below.
- Smartface Smartface is an iOS Emulator which is mostly used by app developers. App developers use it to test their apps for various iPhones and iPads. The emulator is paid and starts at $99. It also avails the users with a free version to test it. It is an ideal emulator for testing cross-platform iOS apps. It also functions as an Android and iOS debugger.
-iPadian iPadian is yet another unanimous iPhone emulator that offer a UI similar to iOS. It costs around $20 and requires Adobe Air for proper functioning. It consumes low resources and can be used to play dozens of iOS games and run various iOS apps. It is not a full-fledged emulator. It provides the user with the list of apps that he/she can induce on the desktop to see how it will appear on iPad. It is user friendly, smooth and clutter-free. It has been a choice of professionals for long and comes with a customizable interface and includes a facebook notification widget as well. One thing to note is that it does not allow access to the official Appstore. The user can run the apps specifically designed for iPadian simulator.
- Appetize.io Appetize.io is a powerful emulator and an alternative to App.io. It is used for developing and testing iOS apps. It is a cloud-based iOS emulator and eliminates the need for downloading additional software. A user can use Appetize.io completely free for about 100 minutes per month. After exceeding the limit of 100 min/month, the user will be charged $0.05 per minute.Appetize.io runs iOS and Android apps within a web browser on any computer. It has an easy access to network traffic, debug logs and video recordings. It closely resembles an iPhone which helpthe users to easily develop, test and update the apps.
-Air iPhone This iOS emulator has a UI that resembles iOS 6 and can be used for playing games and using iOS applications. This iOS Emulator requires anAdobe AIR framework to work correctly. Developers use this emulator for testing the layout before finally compiling the application. It is Simple and has an intuitive UI.
- iPhone Stimulator This software allows users to use and interact with iOS apps and games. The UI of this simulator is identical to that of original iOS, but the UX is different. Consequently, it’s a simulator and not an emulator. You can use this iOS simulator for playing iOS games. iPhone Simulator offers a realistic simulation. It also enables access to the clock, calculator, notepad and iOS system preferences. iPhone Simulator is mainly used for games and other smaller apps, due to the lack of cutting-edge features. The lack of bugs in the emulation is also impressive and helps deliver a near-native iPhone gaming experience. Another additional benefit is that it’s free.
- Ripple Emulator Ripple emulator helps you emulate an iPad on PC for testing purposes and is an easy option since it is not software-based, requiring a Google Chrome extension. It can be used for developing and testing apps while online on your PC. However, there is a drawback of Ripple; it is still in the beta stage presently. You are likely to encounter bugs. Ripple Emulator is available as a browser extension. So, you can install it in your Chrome browser and setup everything easily. Overall, it works fine and you can test or run iOS apps and games. While Appetize.io is a browser-based iPhone emulator for PCs, Ripple does its job in the form of a Chrome extension. It’s popular for testing cross-platform mobile and HTML5 applications without going through a complicated setup process. Targeted towards platforms like PhoneGap and Webworks, Ripple aims to help developers by providing features like HTML DOM Inspection, Automated Testing, JS Debugging, and more. In real-time, one can run the apps on different screen resolutions and devices. This iOS emulator for your computer doesn’t need to be restarted if you choose a new device, which makes the experience pretty convenient.
- Xamarin TestFlight Emulator Xamarin TestFlight is the next iPhone emulator. It is the official Apple emulator that is created for testing the apps developed for iOS. It is worth noting, that Xamarin TestFlight is not meant for beginners, there’s some learning curve to use this emulator to its full potential. You can upload your app and check its compatibility on different iOS devices.Furthermore, Xamarin TestFlight can only run applications that are developed for iOS 8 or later. These were all the best iOS Emulators for MAC. User can choose from the above according to their needs and satisfaction. Most of emulators are focused on app development and testing but some are also based on playing games and running various iOS apps. Depending on the need, the user can choose any of these emulators.