Mac.apk runs Android apps as native Mac processes, with no emulator or VM
Of 66 apps the author tested, 52 are fully playable. A commenter says the newest release already moves saved games out of the app bundle.
Mac.apk implements the Android app environment directly on Apple Silicon macOS. Apps appear in the Dock with their own windows and draw through the GPU. It is alpha: 10 of 66 tested apps only partly work and 4 don't run.
The README warns that saved data lives inside each app's bundle, so trashing the app erases it. A commenter says the newest release moves it to Application Support.
What it is
Mac.apk runs Android apps on Apple Silicon Macs without an emulator, virtual machine or Linux layer. It implements the Android app environment on macOS itself, so apps run as ordinary Mac processes, draw through the GPU, get Dock icons and windows, and follow light and dark mode.
Requirements and status
It needs macOS 26.4 or newer (macOS 27 supported from v1.0.1702) and an Apple Silicon Mac; Intel is out. Expect about 280 MB for Mac.apk plus roughly 1.5 to 3 times each APK's size. It is alpha software: of 66 tested apps, 52 are fully playable, 10 partly work and 4 do not run yet. First launch can take up to a minute.
Two warnings worth reading first
The README warns that an app's saved data lives inside its .app bundle, so dragging it to the Trash deletes your saves; uninstall through the Mac.apk control panel. And apps run with your user account's permissions and no phone-style sandbox, so install only APKs you trust. The project is AGPL-3.0 with a commercial license available, no ads or in-app purchases.
The README itself names a Java runtime, and the save-data warning is reportedly fixed
The headline's "no VM" drew a challenge:
"… in README says the app is run on "built-in Java runtime" after it is converted, which, as I recall, is a virtual machine." — a commenter who compared the README with the headline claim
On the saved-data warning, a commenter replying to a complaint that data belongs in Application Support quoted what they say are the newest release's notes:
"Each installed app's data now lives in ~/Library/Application Support/MacApk/
, and the .app keeps only the app itself." — a commenter quoting the project's newest release notes
On demand, an iOS and Android app developer answering whether this is useful said they run store-installed iOS builds on their Mac all the time and would like the same for Android.
So "no VM" needs an asterisk: by the README the converted apps run on a built-in Java runtime, which at least one reader counts as a virtual machine. Check which release you are installing before you rely on the bundle warning either way.
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