In most cases, people want to add something to what they already have. When we have an android phone we usually want to see what it’s like to have iOS apps and when we use iOS apps we usually want android apps.
If you’re a person who uses a Windows PC or laptop and but to know what it’s like to use an iOS app in your Windows PC, then this is the right place for you. Let’s see how we can make that happen.
When we started looking into what the best iOS emulator for PC is we found that there are actually a lot of them, but most of the time they were pretty confusing and hard to use. So we decided to test them all out by downloading and installing them on our PC. Using an iOS emulator basically enables you to use apps that are restricted to iOS machines on your Windows PC.
What is an iOS emulator?
Most people have now probably heard of the word “emulator”, but there are still a lot of people who haven’t. An emulator is a virtual program that emulates the apps, programs, games and enables you to run them on a different platform, based on its specialization. Using an example would be the best way to explain. For example, if you have a Windows PC and you want to play Super Mario, a game only playable on a console, but by using an iOS emulator you can actually play the game.
Now let’s take a look at the list we have created and some of the best iOS emulators out there.
1. iPad Stimulator
We consider this emulator to be the best one out there and it’s also probably the most used one out there. iPad Stimulator is among the best cloud iOS emulators for Windows. Originally, it used to work on the Google Chrome browser, but after some problems arose it got removed from the Chrome Webstore.
With this emulator, you will be able to use apps like Siri and iMessage, but you will still need a physical model of an iPad to get full use of its functionality. But with this emulator, you won’t only be able to use those two, but you will be able to use all the iOS apps. This emulator is very compatible with Chrome and Windows. If you want to save the data you have collected on your iOS apps all you have to do is drag and drop them in this iPad Stimulator.
2. iPadian
Another very common iOS emulator for Windows PC which allows you to use iOS apps on your Windows PC. This specific emulator is enabled for use by Adobe Air. A big upside this emulator provides is that it is completely free of charge, the only thing you have to do is download and install it on your PC. You can also use it on your Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. The interface design is very similar to the one iPads and iPhones have.
All in all, if you want the iOS experience iPadian is the way to go, you don’t have to pay a dime and you will get the pleasure of using iOS apps. But if you want to further improve the program and help support the development of said app you can pay $10 and get the premium version.
3. Xamarian TestFlight
Unlike the first two emulators, this one doesn’t associate with iOS by name but that does not mean it doesn’t work as well. It is compatible with both Mac and Windows and is owned by Tech Giant Windows. This emulator is great for testing purposes. It has all the functions you can think of and is very user-friendly, simple and efficient.
For instance, if you are a developer and want to release an app to the app store you can use this emulator to test the app beforehand, who wouldn’t want to do that? This emulator also comes with some amazing support.
Since this is a Windows product the developers make sure to update the program on a regular basis and keep fixing and improving it based on user feedback. Now with all that support and updates you get with it there’s a catch, this one is not free. To use this emulator, you need to pay $25 per month.
4. Mobione Studio
Mobione is another great iOS emulator compatible with both Mac and Windows. When you look at this emulator the first thing you usually notice is the very simple interface it has which enables even people who are not tech-savvy to use it without any problems.
This emulator was specifically made so that anyone can use it and so that everyone can understand how it works. Updates to this emulator have stopped being released a couple of years ago due to some issues, but you can still use it for testing apps for instance.
5. Io
You can’t make an iOS emulator list without mentioning this one. To be able to use this emulator you need to upload the iOS app zip file or the Android app file which will start you out.
Uploading can be a bit annoying since most upload speeds aren’t really all that fast and it usually takes something 20 minutes to upload the aforementioned files. But as soon as the upload is done you can use all the features of the app. This emulator has a trial period and you can use it for free for a period of 7 days after which you have to pay to continue using it.
You can use this emulator on all kinds of browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. To be able to do that you have synced your iOS apps with this software which syncs the data from the apps you already use on your phone or iPad to the ones on this emulator. All in all this emulator works pretty efficiently, there are no errors and it’s pretty smooth.