An innovative application, named BlueStacks, lets you do exactly this: With it, you can install and run Android apps on a Windows computer. You can't pinch-and-zoom on the screen of an app.
- Hi, I haven't been using Bluestacks for a while now, so forgive me if the answer is obvious: I can't seem to find any way to pinch to zoom, and I've tried every solution that I can find on the Internet (Right CRTL plus -/+. Etc) Please help me.
- Playing an android game on PC with your mouse and keyboard is an incredibly empowering experience. Add BlueStacks’ Customized Game Controls to this powerful combination, and boom, you are all set to make your mobile gameplay on PC more precise and consistent.
- Mirror Your Phone With Windows. For apps installed on your phone, you don’t need anything fancy.
- Pinch-to-zoom is also supported on mouse trackpads. BlueStacks also has a related application, Cloud Connect, which lets you sync Android apps from your phone or tablet to a PC running BlueStacks.
If there's one function the Android emulator Bluestacks needs to make more obvious, it's the ability to two-finger touch and swipe. A huge amount of games allow you to zoom in and out via pinching your fingers together or swiping them apart on the screen.
If you've ever given up on emulating a particular Android game because you weren't sure how to zoom in or out, you'll be free of that restriction soon enough.
There are two methods PC users can use to imitate pinching and outward swiping to zoom in and out in games on Bluestacks. These are:
- Hold the Ctrl key while pressing the - key to zoom out and the + key to zoom in
- Hold the Ctrl key while scrolling up or down using the mouse wheel
This works in any game that innately has a zoom in and zoom out function, but does not work on games that do not allow you to zoom.
Bluestacks has several keybinding functions. Some games have keyboard layout presets already available when you first launch the game (such as Lineage 2: Revolution), but most require you to set the keys yourself if you want to use the keyboard.
You can set up custom keybindings using the keyboard icon on the bottom left of the Bluestacks window. Unfortunately you can't use this function to set your preferred camera zooming method, but holding Ctrl and scrolling the mouse wheel is pretty simple.
There are a lot of reasons to use an emulator like Nox or Bluestacks -- perhaps your phone can't run a game, or you prefer to play your shooters on PC -- but not knowing how to do a function as simple as pinching in or out to zoom is a big enough reason not to bother. Luckily now you do know how to do it, so go forth and emulate!
Instagram is intended for photo sharing, video sharing, and social networking on the web. Famous for its photo filters, it is one of the most popular online services at present with growing number of users including thousands of Instagram followers. However, it was not designed to be used on a desktop or laptop computer. It is mainly accessible through apps designed for Android, iOS, and Windows mobile devices.
Nevertheless, there are options to use Instagram on standard desktop or laptop computers. If you really want to make use of it with a full physical keyboard and a large display, there are ways to do it. One of these ways is through the BlueStacks App Player or simply BlueStacks. Image courtesy of Cho Joo Young / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
BlueStacks App Player, as the name implies, is a software intended to run apps meant for mobile devices. You can say it is some kind of emulator. It provides the platform that enables apps to run on desktop or laptop computers. It has versions for both Windows and Mac OS X systems. For now, BlueStacks focuses on running Android apps.
So how do you use BlueStacks to enjoy Instagram’s functions on your computer? The instructions below should serve as your guide.
1. Install and run BlueStacks.
Obviously, you need to have BlueStacks on your computer. It’s free and you can get it on the official BlueStacks site. The Windows version works for XP, Vista, and Windows 7 and 8. The Mac version only works with Mac OSX. You will be asked whether you want to receive notifications and turn on BlueStacks Spotlight to access daily app giveaways. You may ignore these as they don’t have direct effects on your BlueStacks usage.
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After BlueStacks has been installed, start it. Your first task is to associate BlueStacks with a Google account to access and install apps from the Google Play store. You just have to go to the “My Apps” section of BlueStacks and select “1-Click Sync Setup.” Just follow the prompts that will be shown. Once you’re done with this, you can proceed to the next step.
2. Search for and install the Instagram app.
You should be able to find the Instagram app through the search facility of BlueStacks by the time you enable Google Play access (step 1). Install the app. You may get confused as BlueStacks presents three app markets: 1Mobile, Amazon, and Google Play. Just install Instagram through either of these options.
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3. Get acquainted with the BlueStacks interface.
If this is your first time to use BlueStacks, you have to be familiar with how it works first. It is an emulator designed to imitate the way apps work on devices with touch-controlled displays. You have to know the counterpart controls so you can properly use the app you will be using.
These are the basics you have to know:
Use ctrl+ and ctrl- to zoom in or out (pinch to zoom on touch enabled devices)
The Z and X buttons are used to imitate the tilting of a device.
You will be using the mouse for your touch gestures. You have to do the typical “clicking” and “dragging” (moving the mouse pointer while holding the left mouse button) to use the apps. This should be intuitive enough for most computer users.
Bluestacks Pinch Zooming
If you are using a touch-based device like a Windows 8 laptop, you may use apps in the same way you would use them on smartphones or tablets.
Bluestacks Pinch
4. Run and use Instagram.
After getting the hang of using BlueStacks, you may now start using Instagram on your computer. Run the application and use it the way you would use it on a mobile device. You should be able to access virtually every function of the app that can be used on mobile devices.
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Of course, you will have to log on to your Instagram account. Logging in should feel somewhat better via BlueStacks since you have a full keyboard to input your username and password. You can now browse through your friends’ photos, post comments, or “like” photos. If you need more guidance on setting up your Instagram account for PC use, just visit http://instagramforpc.com/.
The only issue you would probably encounter some difficulty with in using Instagram via BlueStacks is the taking and uploading of photos. By default, Instagram will be using a computer’s camera. If your computer does not have one, you have to configure Instagram to “Use Instagram’s Advanced Camera.” You can do this quickly. Just go to the “Settings” of Instagram to find “Camera Settings.” After this, Instagram will have been set to browse photos stored on your computer.
Apply filters and upload as much as you want. Just remember that your computer should be web-connected so you can upload your media, browse other users’ media, like, and post comments.
As simple as that – you just have to install BlueStacks, then Instagram, and do some minor configurations. You can do this for other applications as well. BlueStacks is not just for Instagram. Almost every other Android app should run on your PC via BlueStacks. Try it and enjoy the best of both mobile and desktop/laptop worlds.
Zoom In Bluestacks
Author’s Bio:
Jimmy R is a blogger who writes about online and mobile tools and services. He’s an expert on web development and a plethora of online tools.