How will this help?
Sometimes the complete set of x86 libraries are not downloaded for apps due to bandwidth-saving optimizations within Android. Consequently, some apps that expect the x86 libraries to be available fail to run. BlueStacks now provides a switch to let you change the ABI mode explicitly to ARM so that such apps can run.
With the ability to switch between the ABI settings, you will be able to play those games that fail to run due to missing libraries.
How can I switch ABI from BlueStacks preferences?
Users of BlueStacks version 4.140.12.2831 and above can follow the steps below to switch ABI settings. As always, we highly recommend you to update to the latest version of BlueStacks.
1) Open BlueStacks preferences from the menu bar.
2) A new window will then appear. Now click on 'Engine'. Here you will see the "ABI setting" option. By default, the ABI setting is set to 'Auto' mode so that BlueStacks automatically chooses the appropriate ABI without any user input.
In exceptional situations the complete set of x86 libraries are not downloaded, you can set the ABI to 'ARM' mode.
3) Click on the "Restart now" button to save the ABI changes. Once BlueStacks restarts, launch the application. It should be working now. In the case where it still does not run, you will need to reinstall the application. Make sure ARM is selected in ABI Setting when you are reinstalling the app.
An Android app may bundle libraries for the ARM and x86 family of processors since it is designed to run over a large class of devices that can have very different CPU architecture. Android detects the Application Binary Interface (ABI), i.e., whether the underlying CPU is ARM or x86, and loads the appropriate ARM or x86 library.
This ability enables an app to simply run without having to worry about the type of the device. Since BlueStacks runs on PC's that utilize x86 CPU's, BlueStacks supports x86 libraries by default. However, it can also load ARM libraries since it emulates ARM devices.
Thank you for choosing BlueStacks. We hope you enjoy using it. If you have any further questions, please contact us at support@bluestacks.com. Happy Gaming!
Last updated on March 06, 2020.