How to Fix Android Emulator “requires hardware acceleration”

x86 emulation currently requires hardware acceleration

What Does “requires hardware acceleration” Mean?

Android Emulator uses host CPU virtualization technologies to run virtual Android devices efficiently.

Common technologies include:

• Intel VT-x
• AMD-V
• AMD SVM
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• macOS Hypervisor Framework
• Linux KVM

If the Emulator cannot access a usable virtualization environment, especially when running x86 or x86_64 System Images, it may report:

x86 emulation currently requires hardware acceleration!

or:

This AVD requires hardware acceleration

Common Causes

1. CPU Virtualization Is Disabled in BIOS or UEFI

If Intel VT-x, AMD-V, or SVM Mode is disabled in firmware, Android Emulator cannot use hardware-assisted virtualization.

2. Windows Hypervisor Platform Is Disabled

Current Windows Android Emulator environments can use Windows Hypervisor Platform for VM acceleration.

If the Windows feature is disabled, the Emulator may not find a usable hypervisor.

3. Android Emulator Is Outdated

Android Emulator is an SDK component that is updated independently from Android Studio.

An old Emulator can still expect virtualization technologies that are no longer appropriate for a current Windows setup.

4. The Environment Still Depends on HAXM

Intel HAXM was widely used by older Android Emulator versions on Windows.

Current Android Emulator versions no longer support HAXM, so outdated Emulator or AVD configurations can generate virtualization errors.

5. Another Virtualization Product Interferes

VMware, VirtualBox, third-party Android Emulators, virtual machines, and other virtualization software can contribute to conflicts on some computers.

6. Windows Was Not Restarted After a Virtualization Change

Changes to Windows Hypervisor Platform or firmware virtualization settings may not become effective until the computer is restarted.

7. The CPU Does Not Support the Required Virtualization Features

Very old processors or unusual host environments may not expose the features Android Emulator requires.

8. Android Studio Is Running Inside a Virtual Machine

If Android Studio runs inside VMware, Hyper-V, a cloud VM, or another guest operating system, nested virtualization may be required.

9. An Old AVD Retains Legacy Configuration

An AVD created many years ago may behave differently after several generations of Android Studio and Emulator upgrades.

Step 1: Check Emulator Acceleration

In environments where the traditional Emulator CLI is available, run:

emulator -accel-check

This checks whether Android Emulator can use an appropriate hypervisor.

A working environment should report that a supported acceleration system is installed and usable.

If not, the output can help identify whether the hypervisor is missing or unavailable.

Step 2: Check Virtualization in Windows

Open Task Manager:

Task Manager → Performance → CPU

Look for:

Virtualization: Enabled

If it says Disabled, check BIOS or UEFI.

Solution 1: Enable Intel VT-x in BIOS or UEFI

On an Intel-based computer, look for settings such as:

Intel Virtualization Technology Intel VT-x Virtualization Technology

Change the setting from Disabled to Enabled, save the firmware configuration, and restart the computer.

Solution 2: Enable AMD-V or SVM Mode

On AMD systems, the relevant option may be named:

SVM Mode AMD-V CPU Virtualization

Enable it, save the configuration, and restart the computer.

Solution 3: Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform

Open:

Turn Windows features on or off

Enable:

Windows Hypervisor Platform

Restart Windows afterward.

Solution 4: Update Android Emulator

Open Android Studio:

Tools → SDK Manager → SDK Tools → Android Emulator

Install the latest available Emulator version.

This is particularly important when the error comes from an older development environment.

Solution 5: Reinstall Android Emulator

If updating does not solve the issue, remove Android Emulator from SDK Manager and install it again.

Then restart Android Studio and the computer.

Solution 6: Move Away from Legacy HAXM Configuration

Older Android tutorials often recommend installing:

Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM installer)

This was correct for older Intel-based Windows development environments.

Current Android Emulator versions no longer support HAXM, so update the Emulator and configure a supported Windows hypervisor instead.

Solution 7: Recreate the AVD

If only an older AVD reports the hardware-acceleration error, create a fresh virtual device.

View → Tool Windows → Device Manager → Create Virtual Device

Select a current System Image and test the new AVD.

If the new device works, the original AVD may have retained incompatible legacy settings.

Solution 8: Try Another AVD

For example:

Pixel 8 API 35 → requires hardware acceleration Pixel 7 API 34 → works normally

If only one AVD fails, investigate that AVD and its System Image.

If every AVD fails, investigate the host virtualization environment.

Solution 9: Close Other Virtualization Software

For troubleshooting, temporarily stop:

• VMware
• VirtualBox
• Third-party Android Emulators
• Unused virtual machines
• Other virtualization-heavy environments

Then launch Android Emulator again.

Solution 10: Restart the Computer

Restart after changing:

• BIOS or UEFI virtualization
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Android Emulator
• Windows virtualization features

Solution 11: Start the Emulator from the Command Line

List AVDs:

emulator -list-avds

Start one:

emulator @Pixel_8_API_35

For detailed logs:

emulator @Pixel_8_API_35 -verbose

Look for terms such as:

acceleration hypervisor WHPX VT-x SVM KVM Hypervisor.Framework hardware acceleration

Solution 12: Run accel-check Again

After changing the system configuration, run:

emulator -accel-check

If the required hypervisor is now reported as usable, launch the AVD again.

Solution 13: Disable Acceleration Temporarily for Diagnosis

The traditional Emulator CLI can disable VM acceleration:

emulator @AVD_NAME -no-accel

or, on environments that support the equivalent option:

emulator @AVD_NAME -accel off

If the AVD starts only when acceleration is disabled, the host virtualization configuration is strongly implicated.

Solution 14: Check Nested Virtualization

If Android Studio runs inside a virtual machine, confirm that nested virtualization is enabled and supported.

A virtualization-capable physical CPU does not help the guest operating system if the host hypervisor does not expose those features to the VM.

Solution 15: Check the System Image

Review the CPU architecture and System Image used by the AVD.

If the AVD is very old, creating a fresh AVD with a current System Image is often more reliable than trying to preserve the old configuration.

Recommended Windows Troubleshooting Order

1. Check Task Manager for Virtualization: Enabled.
2. If disabled, enable VT-x or SVM in BIOS or UEFI.
3. Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform.
4. Restart Windows.
5. Update Android Emulator.
6. Run emulator -accel-check.
7. Create a fresh AVD.

What About macOS?

Current Android Emulator versions on macOS use the virtualization facilities provided by macOS.

If the traditional CLI is available, run:

emulator -accel-check

A working environment can report Hypervisor Framework as the available accelerator.

If an older Intel Mac configuration still contains legacy HAXM assumptions, update Android Emulator and recreate the AVD.

What About Linux?

Linux normally uses KVM.

Run:

emulator -accel-check

You can also check whether the CPU exposes Intel VMX or AMD SVM flags:

egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

A value greater than zero indicates that virtualization CPU flags are visible to Linux.

KVM installation, permissions, and nested virtualization can still affect whether Android Emulator can actually use acceleration.

Will Installing HAXM Fix It on Windows?

For a current Android Emulator environment, generally no.

HAXM support has been removed from recent Android Emulator versions.

Instead of installing an old HAXM package, configure Windows Hypervisor Platform and update Android Emulator.

What About AEHD?

Some Windows installations use Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver, or AEHD.

However, AEHD is scheduled to be sunset on December 31, 2026.

For a new or refreshed Windows development environment, moving toward Windows Hypervisor Platform is the better long-term configuration.

Difference Between “requires hardware acceleration” and “HAXM is not installed”

“requires hardware acceleration” is a general message indicating that Android Emulator does not have usable VM acceleration.

x86 emulation currently requires hardware acceleration

“HAXM is not installed” is a more specific legacy message from an older HAXM-based configuration.

On a current Windows computer, both should lead you to check CPU virtualization, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and the Android Emulator version first.

Difference Between “requires hardware acceleration” and “Intel HAXM is required”

Older Android Emulator environments may display:

Intel HAXM is required to run this AVD

For a modern Windows setup, update the Emulator and migrate to a supported hypervisor instead of treating HAXM installation as the long-term solution.

What If the Emulator Starts but Is Very Slow?

If the Emulator starts but performs poorly, check whether acceleration is actually active:

emulator -accel-check

If acceleration is working, investigate AVD RAM, graphics settings, host memory pressure, storage performance, and other performance factors instead.

Fastest Troubleshooting Order

On Windows, use this sequence:

1. Check whether virtualization is enabled in Task Manager.
2. Enable VT-x or SVM in BIOS or UEFI if required.
3. Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform.
4. Restart Windows.
5. Update Android Emulator.
6. Run emulator -accel-check.
7. Create a new AVD.
8. Use -verbose if the error remains.

If the Problem Still Occurs

If “requires hardware acceleration” continues, verify the following:

• The CPU supports virtualization.
• Intel VT-x or AMD-V/SVM is enabled in BIOS or UEFI.
• Windows Task Manager reports virtualization as enabled.
• Windows Hypervisor Platform is enabled.
• The computer was restarted after configuration changes.
• Android Emulator is current.
• You ran emulator -accel-check.
• You are not relying on a very old AVD.
• You tested a newly created AVD.
• You temporarily closed VMware, VirtualBox, and other virtualization software.
• Nested virtualization is enabled if Android Studio runs inside a VM.
• KVM is usable on Linux.
• The macOS Emulator installation is current.

Summary

The Android Emulator “requires hardware acceleration” error usually means that Android Emulator cannot access a usable CPU virtualization feature or hypervisor.

On Windows, start with:

1. Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V/SVM.
2. Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform.
3. Restart Windows.
4. Update Android Emulator.
5. Run emulator -accel-check.
6. Recreate old AVDs when necessary.

For diagnosis, use:

emulator -accel-check

to inspect the available hypervisor.

You can also temporarily test:

emulator @AVD_NAME -no-accel

to determine whether VM acceleration itself is the source of the failure.

Because an unaccelerated Emulator can be extremely slow, disabling acceleration should remain a troubleshooting technique rather than the final solution.

For current Windows development, the key is to configure Android Emulator around a supported modern hypervisor rather than relying on old HAXM-based instructions.