# Privacy-friendly android emulators?

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/privacy-friendly-android-emulators/24769
**Category:** Questions
**Created:** 2025-02-07T19:27:28Z
**Posts:** 10

## Post 1 by @anon37276320 — 2025-02-07T19:27:28Z

Bluestacks and Nox have horrible privacy policies, any good android emulators?

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## Post 2 by @ph00lt0 — 2025-02-07T19:30:35Z

Android Studio comes with it.

> **[Download Android Studio & App Tools - Android Developers](https://developer.android.com/studio)**
>
> Android Studio provides app builders with an integrated development environment (IDE) optimized for Android apps. Download Android Studio today.

> **[Run apps on the Android Emulator  |  Android Studio  | ...](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator)**
>
> The Android Emulator simulates Android devices on your computer so that you can test your app on a variety of devices and Android API levels without needing to have each physical device.

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## Post 3 by @asanyan — 2025-02-07T20:06:26Z

waydroid (linux)

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## Post 4 by @anon48875053 — 2025-02-08T08:56:20Z

Only run it in a VM because it’s insecure as hell.

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## Post 5 by @anon39279085 — 2025-02-08T12:18:17Z

It’s based on Wayland, what’s the insecurity here?  
The fact that it lacks sandboxing? For crying out loud.

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## Post 6 by @anon5410820 — 2025-02-08T12:33:27Z

Probably because it’s kinda in maintenance mode and is still stuck on Android 11 :frowning:

EDIT: I really like Waydroid, but unfortunately it doesn’t look to be the most alive right now

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## Post 7 by @anon48875053 — 2025-02-08T12:36:07Z

Stuck on ancient Android versions without tons of security patches.

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## Post 8 by @anon39279085 — 2025-02-08T12:39:32Z

Oh yeah that’s fair enough, I apologize.

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## Post 9 by @ignoramous — 2025-02-08T17:28:58Z

> [@anon5410820](#):
>
> really like Waydroid, but unfortunately it doesn’t look to be the most alive right now

Very likely Android has a desktop version soon-ish. And replaces ChromeOS by the end of this decade.

Also, if I’m not wrong, projects like Waydroid are based on Google’s [Cuttlefish](https://github.com/google/android-cuttlefish) ([docs](https://source.android.com/docs/devices/cuttlefish/get-started)). Unsure if Cuttlefish would be enough for your needs: I have never used it to run apps.

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## Post 10 by @asanyan — 2025-02-08T20:24:34Z

It cannot be worse than the alternatives OP mentioned, plus it’s better for privacy. If you were to run in a VM, it would maybe be better to instead install BlissOS, but then performance would be very bad.