How to Set Up Android Emulator for Expo on Windows (React Native)

Niraj Dhungana•June 24, 2025

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If you’re using Windows and building React Native apps with Expo, you probably know how convenient it is to use the Expo Go app on your physical device. But what if you want to run your app directly inside your computer using an Android Emulator?

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Set up Node.js
• Install and configure Android Studio
• Create a virtual Android device
• Run your Expo app inside the emulator
• Fix common issues

Let’s get started.

📦 Step 1: Install Node.js and Expo CLI

Before anything else, you need to have Node.js installed.

✅ Check if Node.js is already installed:

1. Open your terminal (type cmd in the Start menu).
2. Run: If it says "not recognized", Node.js isn’t installed.

node -v

🔽 Install Node.js:

1. Go to nodejs.org
2. Download the LTS (Long Term Support) version
3. Run the installer and follow the steps (click Next → Accept License → Install)
4. Once done, restart the terminal and type:

node -v
npm -v

You’ll see the versions of Node.js and npm. npm comes bundled with Node.js.

🚀🛠 Step 2: Install Android Studio

To run your app in an emulator, we need Android Studio and a virtual device.

🔽 Download Android Studio:

1. Visit: developer.android.com/studio
2. Download and install it (accept terms, default paths are fine)
3. During installation, make sure Android Virtual Device (AVD) is checked

📦 Install Required SDKs:

Once Android Studio launches:

1. Click Next through the setup wizard
2. It’ll download additional components
3. Once complete, click Finish

📱 Step 3: Create an Android Emulator

To create your virtual device:

1. In Android Studio, go to More Actions > AVD Manager
2. Click Create Virtual Device
3. Choose a Phone model (e.g., Pixel 4)
4. Click Next and download a system image (e.g., Android R)
5. You can also create a custom hardware profile if needed (e.g., increase RAM)
6. Name your device (e.g., My Android)
7. Finish setup

⚙️ Step 4: Set Up Environment Variables (So You Can Use Emulator Without Android Studio)

To run the emulator directly from the command line, do this:

1. Show Hidden Files:

Open your user folder, click View > Hidden items, and find:

AppData > Local > Android > Sdk

Copy that path.

2. Set ANDROID_HOME:

1. Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Environment Variables
2. Under User variables, click New
3. Name: ANDROID_HOME, Value: (paste the SDK path)
4. Click OK

3. Add platform-tools to PATH:

1. Still in Environment Variables, find Path under User variables
2. Click Edit > New
3. Paste:

C:\Users\{YourName}\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools

1. Save and close everything

🧪 Step 5: Run Your Expo App in Emulator

Create a test project:

Use the below command or you can read more about the new project setup the expo doc itself.

npx create-expo-app@latest

Start the development server:

Once the project is ready just navigate to the folder and open it inside vs code or just start it fromt he terminal using the following command.

npm start

This opens the Expo Dev Tools in the browser.

To open the emulator, just press a in the terminal. It will try to open your default emulator.

⚠️ If you see "device not connected", restart your PC and try again.

🛠 Bonus Tip: Emulator Not Working? Try This Fix

If your emulator behaves weirdly or becomes slow:

1. Open Android Studio
2. Go to AVD Manager
3. Click the dropdown next to your emulator
4. Choose Wipe Data

This clears up storage issues and often fixes the problem.

🎉 Done! Your Expo App Is Now Running in an Emulator

Once the emulator boots up and the app installs Expo Go, you’ll see your app running just like it would on a real device.

Make a change in App.js (e.g., update text), save it, and you’ll see it instantly update in the emulator.

👏 Wrap Up

That’s how you run an Expo React Native app inside an Android Emulator on Windows. No physical device needed!

If this guide helped, feel free to share it with others learning React Native.