How to Run iOS Apps on Android Device?

You will hardly find any Android developer without an Android phone, but I know a lot of iOS developers who don’t have an iPhone. They either run their apps on emulators, borrow friend’s iPhone for some time or simply ask them to test. You might also want to try some apps which are available for iPhones only. Thus, there can be a number of reasons why you would want to run iOS apps on Android.

iPhones are still not so affordable and come with a hefty price, so the majority of people can’t afford that. But if you just want to try some apps and games available on the iOS platform only, here’s a workaround. Today, I will explain how to run iOS apps on Android using an emulator. Both iOS and Android phones run on ARM-based hardware, so there are some ways which allow us to run iPhone apps on an Android device.

Things to Remember:

Though you can run iOS apps on Android there are a few things you should remember to make the process smooth and hassle-free.

• Your Android phone should have at least 512MB of RAM. However, I won’t recommend it to try on any phone with less than 1.5GB of RAM. Otherwise, you may experience lag while installing or using ios apps on Android.
• Your phone must have at least required storage empty plus some more for running apps smoothly. Every app needs some free space to save or fetch the required files smoothly.
• The emulators mentioned below are not available on Play Store. They are developed by some unknown sources and hence risks are always associated with them. The very first thing required is – to allow app installation from unknown sources and sideload them. So, you can’t expect to run every iOS apps on them. This will be a trial and error procedure.

3 Ways on Run iOS Apps on Android

1. Using an Online Emulator

If you just want to test or run some iOS apps, you can try an online emulator like Appetize iOS emulator. This is one of the easiest ways to run iOS apps without any risks. Yes, some of you might not want to get involved in sideloading apk from outside Play store. if you are also one of them, just follow this link and click on Tap to Play button. This is one of the simplest methods to test one or two apps.

It’s a browser-based iOS emulator works with HTML5 and Javascript and allows you to upload your own iOS apps in a few steps. I have tested this emulator for a few apps and didn’t find any issue. So, you can also try it.

2. CIDER

CIDER is one of the most popular iOS emulators for Android. It allows you to run iOS apps on Android with such ease that you will feel like you are running any other Android app. The process is simply straightforward. You just need to visit this link and download the Cider apk file. Then, go to Security settings on your Android phone, allow installing apps from other sources and install the application. Finally, launch the app to install and use any iOS apps.

In simple words, Cider creates an iOS-like environment on your Android where you can easily run and test apps. The Cider iOS emulator is developed by some students of Columbia University, and it doesn’t work in all devices. If you are using any latest Android smartphone by a popular manufacturer, you won’t face any issue. But, if you own an age-old Android phone, it may not support Cider. Try it once and then tell me whether you succeeded or not.

3. iEMU or Padiod

iEMU is another popular iOS emulator for Android. Though I haven’t tested it on multiple devices, as per the reviews it is lighter than the Cider. It allows you to create a virtual iPhone environment on your Android where you can install and test a few apps. The app doesn’t require large storage but uses a considerable amount of RAM while running any iOS app on Android.

iEMU is also an open-source project maintained by many developers and so bugs are always expected. Just like the previous emulator, download the apk from this link, allow app installation from unknown sources on your Android and install it. Once you have done, launch it and start installing and using your favourite iOS apps. iEMU is also not supported by all the Android phones, so trying it on an older phone may waste your time. Also, don’t try to run any heavy apps or games on this emulator.