Mac.apk runs my favorite Android apps on my Mac; most just worked

I love my Mac, but when it comes to phones, Android devices are my go-to.

I listen to podcasts on Pocket Casts all day long, stream electronic music through Di.FM and even get a few rounds of gaming in.

Until recently, using these apps on Mac devices meant looking for alternatives or resorting to browser-based versions. In some cases, desktop apps are gated behind additional purchases or subscriptions. That never made sense to me.

Mac.apk solves that problem. This Mac app lets me install and run practically any Android app on my Apple Silicon Mac.

It isn’t running an emulator. Instead, it translates the Android instructions to those that correspond to the Mac’s system calls, packages the Android app as a Mac app, and puts it in my app drawer.

You can install an APK, open the app, and run it alongside your regular Mac software.

I spent the last few days testing it. The app might be early stage, but it can run more than a few apps, and this might be the missing piece for bridging the gap between my Mac and Android phone.

I installed my favorite Android apps on my Mac, and most just worked

Pocket Casts shows how handy Android apps can be on a Mac

So, what is Mac.apk? This open source project runs Android apps on Apple Silicon Macs. But unlike a conventional emulator, it doesn’t boot an entire Android operating system in the background or try to emulate Android’s system calls.

Instead, it runs the Android environment on macOS, letting compatible apps work like native Mac apps.

Getting started is simple. Download the DMG file and install it like any other Mac app. After installing it, drag and drop any Android APK onto the app, and it installs it as a Mac app.

Mac.apk supports all common Android package formats like APKM, XAPK, and APKS, making it easy to install even modern app bundles or split APKs.

When installed, the apps appear in your Mac’s Applications folder and launch with Spotlight, like any other application.

I tested the app using Pocket Casts. As a heavy podcast consumer, this was the one I was most looking forward to trying.

Mac.apk lets you log in via your Google account, which means that any app that needs Google sign-in works fine.

To test the app, I pulled down the APK from APKMirror and dragged it into the interface. When installed, the rest is self-explanatory. Tap the app icon to launch it, and it opens in a window.

I was surprised by how well it worked. All I had to do was sign in, and the app pulled in all my podcasts and listening history.

The only caveat I noticed was that the app was locked to horizontal orientation. There’s no free-flow adjustment, though you can scale the app bigger or smaller.

Functionally, however, this was the Android Pocket Casts app, except on my Mac.

Not every Android app works, but it’s a good start

Limited multitasking and app support

The same principle applies to other Android apps.

I tested my preferred internet radio app, DI.FM. The service only offers browser-based streaming, so I was hoping for a better solution.

That’s where I hit my first roadblock. Given the compatibility layer’s alpha status, it’s expected that not every app will work, and I couldn’t get DI.FM running, with the app freezing on a blank screen. I suspect this will improve with time.

Gaming is another use case that interests me. I installed Crossy Road, a popular mobile arcade game, to see how well the tool would work with 3D titles. Surprisingly, it worked on the first go with zero visual problems, delays, or lag. It’s impressive.

Still, a desktop computer isn’t a perfect replacement for a touchscreen phone. Some games may rely on touch gestures, motion controls, or other input methods that don’t translate neatly to a mouse and keyboard.

Mac.apk offers different input options for supported games, but the experience depends on how each game handles controls. Still, Crossy Road working out of the box was encouraging.

Beyond the obvious compatibility issues, one more limitation affected how I used the software.

In my testing, I could only launch one Android app at a time. I’m not sure if this is a limitation of the alpha version or how the software is supposed to work. But keep this in mind if you plan to pull up several Android-only tools.

Mac.apk is early in development, and I wouldn’t recommend putting it in a production environment just yet.

Compatibility can be hit or miss, but even at its early stage, two out of three ain’t bad. Between gaming and my podcast-listening setup, I got my personal essentials up and running within minutes.

More importantly, though, I love the idea because too many high-quality apps are locked onto specific platforms.

Whether it’s my favorite game-tracking app or a long-lost game, this flexibility lets me bring the app to my platform of choice, so I don’t have to stick to one platform or form factor to enjoy an app I’m fond of.

If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and want to try a few Android apps on your desktop, Mac.apk is absolutely worth it, especially since it costs nothing.