Bluestacks Not Working: Why & How To Fix It?

After finally being able to enjoy mobile apps and games on your desktop/laptop through BlueStacks, it is disappointing if you can’t use it.

Some common problems you can face are the application failing to load/open or keep crashing repeatedly.

Generally, it happens due to outdated graphics device drivers, and updating them will solve your issues with the app. However, there are various other factors that can prevent Bluestacks from working smoothly.

So, without further delay, let’s learn about the root causes of the problem and explore different applicable fixes for it.

Why Is Bluestacks Not Working?

Several reasons can lead to BlueStacks not working. The most common ones are as follows.

Graphics drivers outdated
Virtualization is disabled
Recommended system requirements not met
Internet connection issues

How to Fix Bluestacks Not Working on Windows?

From updating your graphics drivers to enabling virtualization, you can apply the following fixes for a Windows system.

Update BlueStacks

If you are using an older version of the BlueStacks application, you can face these issues. So, install the latest updates to resolve problems with the app.

Launch the BlueStacks application.
On the bottom right corner, click on the little gear icon.
Click the About option on the sidebar.
On the right pane, click Check for updates.
Then, click Download update. Then, the app will redirect you to a browser and download the latest update automatically.
After the download is complete, open the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the application.
Check if the application is working after the installation.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers are one of the main reasons the BlueStacks app is not working. Therefore, updating drivers will likely fix your issue too. Here’s how you can do it.

Press Windows + X and click the Device Manager option.
Expand the Display adapters dropdown and select your device.
Then, right-click on it and click Update driver.
On the Update Drivers window prompt, choose Select automatically for drivers to let Windows search and download the file online.
Follow the on-screen instructions and install the latest graphics drivers.

Alternatively, you can download the latest updates from your respective GPU’s official website.

Enable Virtualization

The newer versions of the BlueStacks application require virtualization enabled on your system. Virtualization is important as it improves performance and allows BlueStacks to utilize multiple CPU cores. So if you haven’t enabled it, you could face issues while running the application.

To check if you have virtualization enabled or not,

Press the Windows + R key, type the command msinfo32 and click OK.
Select System Summary on the left sidebar.
Now, on the right pane, look for Hyper-V – Virtualization Enabled in Firmware, and the value next to it is Yes.

If virtualization isn’t already enabled, follow the steps below.

Press the Windows + R, type the command optionalfeatures, and hit Enter.
On the Windows Features prompt, find Hyper-V and check its checkbox.
Click on OK and wait for the system to enable it.
After completing the process, restart the PC and see if BlueStacks is working smoothly.

Run SFC Scans

Another reason why the app is crashing or not opening is because of the corrupt system files. You can repair them using the SFC scan to fix the app issues. Here’s you can do it.

Press the Windows + R key and type cmd . Then, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the command prompt as administrator.
Next, enter the following command:
sfc /scannow

Wait for the system to scan and fix corrupt system files.
Check if you can open and use the BlueStacks application now.

Uninstall Updates

Some users have found BlueStacks not working after updating their operating system. Therefore, you can uninstall the recent updates to fix the current issues. You can do it as follows.

Press the Windows + R and type control to open the Control Panel.
On the top-left corner of the window, click View installed updates.
Select the most recent update and click Uninstall, which appears on the top bar next to Organize.
Click Yes to confirm uninstall on the next prompt.
After uninstalling, restart your PC and check if issues with BlueStacks have been resolved.

Note: If the above solution resolves the issues, great. But in case it’s not, we recommend you always keep your system updated.

Reinstall the Application

If none of the methods worked, you can reinstall the application as a last resort. Here you uninstall the app and install it again.

First, open the control panel.
Next, click Uninstall a program.
From the list of install applications, select BlueStacks and click on Uninstall from the top bar.
After uninstalling, go to BlueStacks’ official site and download the installer.
Install the application and see if it’s working now.

Reach Out to the Support Team

If you still have issues or BlueStacks is not working for a specific application, you can report to their support team. You can do it as follows.

First, open the application.
Click the Help and Support icon next to the hamburger menu in the window’s top right corner.
Select the Report a problem option.
Fill in all the necessary details and click Submit report when done.

Even though the support team tries their best to reach out to you as soon as possible, it can take some time. Therefore, patiently wait for the reply and follow the instructions when you receive the mail.

How to Fix Bluestacks Not Working on Mac?

If you are using a Mac, these are the solutions that can fix your issues regarding the BlueStacks application.

Provide Necessary Permissions

If you haven’t provided the necessary permissions for the BlueStacks app, it will fail to work. To enable permissions for the app,

First, click on the Apple icon on the top menu bar of your desktop.
Next, navigate to System Preferences > Security and Privacy.
Under the General tab, click the lock icon on the bottom left corner and unlock it using your password.
Then, click the “Allow” button next to System software from developer “BlueStack Systems, Inc.” was blocked from loading.

Update Your System

You can update Mac to resolve issues with the BlueStacks application. Here’s how you can do it.

Click the Apple icon and select the System Preferences option.
Then, click Software Update.
Now, click on Upgrade now. Additionally, check Automatically keep my Mac up to date option to install updates automatically.
Wait for the update to be downloaded and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
Finally, restart your system and check if you can open the app.

How to Solve Bluestacks Working Slow?

If you barely meet the minimum system requirement to run BlueStacks, you can experience lagging issues while loading BlueStacks. Furthermore, you can feel it while playing games too.

To solve these issues, you can follow these solutions.

Tweak Bluestacks Settings

You can tweak some settings on the application for better performance.

Launch the application and click the gear icon on the bottom right corner.
Then, under the Display tab, select a lower resolution from the right pane.
Next, click the Graphics tab, and choose the OpenGL option under the Graphics renderer section.
Finally, click on Save changes and restart the application.

Close Unnecessary Applications

For better performance and to use the system resources efficiently, consider closing all the unnecessary programs and applications. You can do it on Windows as follows.

Press the Windows + X key and select the Task Manager option.
Under the Processes tab, select unnecessary applications and click the End task button.
Additionally, select the applications under the Startup tab and click the Disable button to prevent them from opening up at the startup.