How to install Surface Duo emulator on Windows 10
Are you a developer or an enthusiast who wants to test the Surface Duo OS? In this guide, we’ll show you the steps to get started.
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Microsoft has recentlymade available its emulatorfor the upcoming Surface Duo, the foldable (dual-screen) device with two 5.6-inch displays, for developers to start adding support to their apps. However, the release of the emulator also reveals some of the work the company has been making for the new mobile OS, which gives us a glimpse of what to expect when the Surface Duo becomes available.
Our senior Windows reporter, Zac Bowden, published awalkthrough videoshowing off navigation gestures, apps in a dual-screen mode, and Microsoft Launcher. However, if you want to play around with the new OS, or you’re a developer trying to get started adapting your apps for the new form factor, you can install the Surface Duo emulator on yourWindows 10device.
The Surface Duo OS is based on the Google Android OS, and the emulator is based on the Google emulator platform using the support for dual displays.
In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install the emulator to start testing and get a feeling of Surface Duo.
How to install Surface Duo emulator on Windows 10
The Surface Duo emulator has a two-part installation. You must install Visual Studio 2019 first, and then you need to install the emulator files.
Install Visual Studio 2019
To install Visual Studio 2019 to test the Surface Duo emulator, use these steps:
Quick tip:If you already have Visual Studio 2019 installed on your computer, you can skip these steps and continue with the emulator installation. However, you may want to review the steps below to make sure that you have the Android Emulator installed.
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Once you complete the steps, you can close all the Visual Studio related windows, and you can proceed with the setup of the Surface Duo emulator.
Install Surface Duo emulator
To install the Surface Duo emulator on Windows 10, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the emulator will install, and you should be able to start it with the link in the Start menu or desktop.
Start Surface Duo emulator
To launch the Surface Duo emulator, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the Surface Duo emulator will launch (but it could take a while), and then you can now play around or start developing for the platform. (You can also use the mouse or touch to navigate the OS.)
If you want to learn more, you can check theMicrosoft documentation, and for SDK samples, you should visit thisSurface Duo GitHub page.
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
