Run Android apps in your browser

To run an APK in a browser you used to need an emulator, a virtual machine, or a spare phone. PreviewAPK skips all of it: upload the APK, a real Android device boots in the cloud in seconds, and the app runs in your browser tab — on any computer you already own.

How running an APK in a browser actually works

The app never runs on your machine. When you upload an APK, PreviewAPK boots a dedicated Android device in the cloud, installs your build, and launches it. The device's screen streams to your browser, and your taps, swipes, and keystrokes are sent back to it. From your side it feels like the app is in the tab; from the app's side, it's running on Android like it would on a phone.

1. Upload the APK and pick an Android version (10–15) and a device profile — Pixel 9 Pro or Galaxy S24.
2. Wait a few seconds while the device boots and your app installs and launches.
3. Run it, then share the link. You drive the app from your portal — or through the API; while it runs, the session has a share link and other people watch the same screen live.

Sessions pause after 15 minutes idle to save resources, and the same link boots a fresh device on demand the next time someone opens it.

Why people run Android apps in a browser

• Chromebooks and locked-down laptops. If your machine can't install Android Studio, desktop emulators, or anything at all without IT approval, a browser tab is the one thing that always works.
• No emulator maintenance. No system images to download, no virtualization settings to fight, no emulator that breaks after an OS update.
• Showing, not just running. A local emulator traps the app on your screen. A browser link means a client, a PM, or a tester can open the same running app from their own desk.
• Version checks without a device drawer. Run the same APK on Android 10 and Android 15 back to back instead of keeping phones or images for each.

What runs well — and what still needs a phone

Business apps, utilities, content apps, forms, login flows, onboarding, and most everyday software run exactly as they would on a handset, because the app is on real Android. The honest caveat: features tied to physical hardware — Bluetooth pairing, NFC, fingerprint or face unlock, camera quality, and heavy 3D games — deserve a final check on a real device. And the owner can put the same build on an actual phone for that pass: the portal's install QR installs the exact APK — owners only, minted on demand, gone in 15 minutes.

What it costs

PreviewAPK is a flat $19/month per device with unlimited testing — no minute metering while you explore a build. It's in private beta now; join the waitlist to lock in the launch price.

FAQ

Can I run any Android app in a browser?

Most apps, yes. Upload the app's APK to PreviewAPK and it runs on a real Android device in the cloud, streamed to your browser. Apps that depend heavily on hardware — Bluetooth, NFC, biometrics, or demanding 3D graphics — still deserve a pass on a physical phone.

Do viewers need an account to watch?

No. Anyone with the build's link can watch the live session in their browser, and viewers install nothing. One person drives at a time; everyone else sees the same screen in real time.

Does it work on a Chromebook?

Yes. Because the Android device runs in the cloud and only the screen streams to you, PreviewAPK works in the browser on Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, and Linux — including locked-down work laptops where you can't install software.

Is it an emulator?

Not in the usual sense. Instead of emulating Android on your own computer, PreviewAPK boots a real Android device environment in the cloud (Android 10–15, Pixel 9 Pro or Galaxy S24 profiles) and streams it to your browser. Your machine does none of the heavy lifting.

Keep going

• Test APK online — the same browser device, set up for your own testing.
• Android emulator online — how cloud devices compare with local emulators.
• Share an APK with a link — send the running app to clients and testers.