NKS1608 / kiln-android-emulator
git clone https://github.com/NKS1608/kiln-android-emulator.git
v0.1.0 · today
Kiln: an Android emulator for Apple Silicon Macs. Hardware virtualization, GPU acceleration (GLES/Vulkan), per-game key mapping. Beta.
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LanguageC
License—
Created2026-10-14 (6d ago)
Last pushtoday
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OwnerUser
Links
- GitHub: github.com/NKS1608/kiln-android-emulator
- Homepage: https://ko-fi.com/nks1608
- Releases · Issues · Hacker News mentions
README excerpt
Kiln An Android emulator for Macs with Apple Silicon, made for apps and games. 0.1.0 · macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 and later) · English and Português (Brasil) Download Kiln 0.1.0 · Support Kiln --- Kiln runs Android 16 in a window on your Mac. Each instance behaves like a separate phone, with its own apps, settings and device identity, and you can run several at once. Graphics run on your Mac's GPU, and games can be played with the keyboard, the mouse or a game controller. ## Features ### Android - Android 16, built by the Kiln project and included in the app. A new instance starts in about half a minute and opens directly on the home screen. - Apps and games get OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan, drawn by your Mac's GPU. - Install `.apk`, `.xapk`, `.apkm` and `.apks` files from the toolbar. Split APKs are combined for you. - Google apps are not included, but can be added with **Install Zip** (see About the Android image). ### Games - Key mapping per game. Place taps, a joystick and swipes on the screen, then assign keys to them. Key combinations such as ⇧Q or ⌃1 work, and several keys can be held at once. Kiln switches to a game's mapping when that game comes to the front. - Camera control with the mouse, for games where you look around by dragging a thumb on the screen. - A mouse and keyboard mode for games that support them directly, such as Minecraft. - Game controllers connected to your Mac appear in Android as a standard gamepad. - Refresh rates up to 180 Hz. The screen's rate follows what is shown, as on phones with adaptive displays: a still screen slows down and a game gets the rate it runs at. ### Instances - Choose from 16 phone models, including the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Pixel 9 Pro, OnePlus 12 and ROG Phone 8. Android reports the chosen phone's model and system details to apps. - Each instance has its own SIM card (39 operators in 15 countries, or none), phone number, IMEI, serial number and Wi-Fi network. Its battery charges and drains like a real one. - Choose which GPU games see (Adreno 740, Adreno 650 or Mali-G68), and set CPU and memory with the Low, Medium or High preset. - Each instance has its own window and Dock icon color. Closing the window can leave Android running: the instance stays in the Dock, and clicking it brings the window back. ### For developers - A shell inside Android, one click from the launcher, with a full terminal. - adb, turned on per instance and reachable only from your Mac. - **Error Report** collects an instance's logs, a screenshot and a short screen recording in one zip file. - `kilnctl`, a command-line tool for everything the launcher does. ## Install 1. Download `Kiln-0.1.0.dmg` from the release page and open it. 2. Drag **Kiln** to **Applications**. 3. Kiln is not notarized by Apple yet, so macOS asks for confirmation the first time. Right-click Kiln, choose **Open**, and confirm. You can also allow it in System Settings > Privacy & Security. 4. In the launcher, click **+**