Windows users have reported using BlueStacks, MeMu and Nox emulators with good results although there are others available.
BlueStacks v5
Information here related to the Android variants (Nougat, Pie (v9), and v11).
To install the latest version of iReal Pro you will need an emulator running Android v8 or higher (as at 2023).
INSTALLING THE EMULATOR
Our Windows emulator install information is here.
PURCHASE iReal Pro
Purchase iReal Pro from the Play Store inside the emulator using your Google account or from your computer or your other Android devices.
Emulators generally have the Play store installed (or they should have details on installing it).
INSTALL iReal Pro
If you have already purchased iReal Pro, sign in with the Google account you used for the original purchase and download from the Play store inside the emulator. Our general Android install information is here.
If you have purchased the Amazon version, download the Amazon AppStore from inside your emulator using your browser, install it, sign in to your Amazon account, install your Amazon apps.
INSTALLING THE EMULATOR
Our Windows emulator install information is here.
PURCHASE iReal Pro
Purchase iReal Pro from the Play Store inside the emulator using your Google account or from your computer or your other Android devices.
Emulators generally have the Play store installed (or they should have details on installing it).
INSTALL iReal Pro
If you have already purchased iReal Pro, sign in with the Google account you used for the original purchase and download from the Play store inside the emulator. Our general Android install information is here.
If you have purchased the Amazon version, download the Amazon AppStore from inside your emulator using your browser, install it, sign in to your Amazon account, install your Amazon apps.
BlueStacks: if BlueStacks asks for payment when you have already paid, see this (or try closing then opening BlueStacks again or search their FAQs for any relevant information.)
Other emulators may have similar instructions for downloading/installing apps.
Other help: Google support install information (if you have problems installing) (often clearing the caches works).
TIPS
File import, transfer
(Do not expect an iReal Pro formatted file (.html) in your PC environment to find or open iReal Pro to import it, you will have to transfer it into the emulator first.)
The "Open with..." import menu option lists the apps that can import a file. This should show in the Overflow (Options) menu (usually top right, tap its 3 dots icon).
BlueStacks—use their Media Manager to transfer files between your PC environment and BlueStacks, then import (using Open with...)
Other emulators may offer the option (configuration) to set up a Shared folder where both Android and the PC environment share the folder's contents.
(BlueStacks has an option (in its Settings) to create a shortcut on your Windows Desktop, for each Android app you have installed. This effectively means you can double-click on an Android app in Windows, BlueStacks will automatically open then that app opens. However, to import files, make sure they are in the Android environment.)
Some use Drive as a shared location (install/setup Drive in both your PC and emulator) then you can save and transfer from one environment to the other using this shared storage location. This is useful if you have Android devices, an Android emulator and your PC Windows all sharing files. If you are receiving iReal Pro formatted files in your Windows emails, save to Drive.
Share sheet options
For sharing files from iReal Pro (exporting), the Share sheet in the emulator may not show many options initially. Setting up Google Drive will give you the option to share to your cloud storage. (This is the recommended location for saving your iReal Pro individual songs, band/practice playlists and backup archives. Always do regular backups, the songs/playlists you have are only within iReal Pro. If you delete or have to reinstall your emulator program, iReal Pro is deleted along with the songs/playlists it has.)
Setting up email inside the emulator allows the email option in the Share sheet (as it does in an Android device).
Some File managers appear in the Share sheet, so you can save files internally (in the "SD card" memory of the emulator) (they are available within the emulator to import back into iReal Pro or available to email or copy/move to a shared folder your PC has access to, etc. This does not require an internet connection to your cloud services or Drive.)
Both Solid Explorer or FX File manager (available from the Play store) should show in the Share sheet.
See this (our forum information)
Browser, iReal Pro forum
You can either use the Forums window within iReal Pro or an Android browser (within your emulator) for navigating, search and downloading songs.
A Windows browser will not be able to directly import files from the iReal Pro forum into iReal Pro.
Archiving, Backups
To backup your songs/playlists:
More > Backup (iReal Pro old versions)
Settings > Backup (iReal Pro v2021 or higher)
Please backup your songs regularly, save your backup files outside your emulator (in Drive for example) not in the emulator's SD card memory in case you have to reinstall the emulator or have to format or reset your PC drive (etc.)
iReal Pro tips
To select a measure for either playing from or to highlight the first measure of a loop, click-hold on that measure which will then highlight.
For selecting measures in the editor for cut/copy, click in the first measure you want to select (so the cursor is in that measure), click-hold in that measure to select it, then click the last measure to end.
After recording, you will need to find your recorded track. Information.
Other help: Google support install information (if you have problems installing) (often clearing the caches works).
TIPS
File import, transfer
(Do not expect an iReal Pro formatted file (.html) in your PC environment to find or open iReal Pro to import it, you will have to transfer it into the emulator first.)
The "Open with..." import menu option lists the apps that can import a file. This should show in the Overflow (Options) menu (usually top right, tap its 3 dots icon).
BlueStacks—use their Media Manager to transfer files between your PC environment and BlueStacks, then import (using Open with...)
Other emulators may offer the option (configuration) to set up a Shared folder where both Android and the PC environment share the folder's contents.
(BlueStacks has an option (in its Settings) to create a shortcut on your Windows Desktop, for each Android app you have installed. This effectively means you can double-click on an Android app in Windows, BlueStacks will automatically open then that app opens. However, to import files, make sure they are in the Android environment.)
Some use Drive as a shared location (install/setup Drive in both your PC and emulator) then you can save and transfer from one environment to the other using this shared storage location. This is useful if you have Android devices, an Android emulator and your PC Windows all sharing files. If you are receiving iReal Pro formatted files in your Windows emails, save to Drive.
Share sheet options
For sharing files from iReal Pro (exporting), the Share sheet in the emulator may not show many options initially. Setting up Google Drive will give you the option to share to your cloud storage. (This is the recommended location for saving your iReal Pro individual songs, band/practice playlists and backup archives. Always do regular backups, the songs/playlists you have are only within iReal Pro. If you delete or have to reinstall your emulator program, iReal Pro is deleted along with the songs/playlists it has.)
Setting up email inside the emulator allows the email option in the Share sheet (as it does in an Android device).
Some File managers appear in the Share sheet, so you can save files internally (in the "SD card" memory of the emulator) (they are available within the emulator to import back into iReal Pro or available to email or copy/move to a shared folder your PC has access to, etc. This does not require an internet connection to your cloud services or Drive.)
Both Solid Explorer or FX File manager (available from the Play store) should show in the Share sheet.
See this (our forum information)
Browser, iReal Pro forum
You can either use the Forums window within iReal Pro or an Android browser (within your emulator) for navigating, search and downloading songs.
A Windows browser will not be able to directly import files from the iReal Pro forum into iReal Pro.
Archiving, Backups
To backup your songs/playlists:
More > Backup (iReal Pro old versions)
Settings > Backup (iReal Pro v2021 or higher)
Please backup your songs regularly, save your backup files outside your emulator (in Drive for example) not in the emulator's SD card memory in case you have to reinstall the emulator or have to format or reset your PC drive (etc.)
iReal Pro tips
To select a measure for either playing from or to highlight the first measure of a loop, click-hold on that measure which will then highlight.
For selecting measures in the editor for cut/copy, click in the first measure you want to select (so the cursor is in that measure), click-hold in that measure to select it, then click the last measure to end.
After recording, you will need to find your recorded track. Information.
The song file format is the same on all platforms and various versions of iReal Pro, so you can share or import songs from your bandmates, teaching, export for students etc.
Bluestacks v5, settings
Try different settings as you set up (or install) Bluestacks (or install different instances (variants) of BlueStacks) which may vary depending on your PC specifications and monitor resolution.
For example, on a Surface Pro 7, iReal Pro seemed to work well with selecting 2 cores, default screen resolution, 2GB RAM allocation. The 240 DPI resulted in landscape tablet size so the song library appeared on the left and song chart on the right.
General information on earlier versions of iReal Pro
There are 4 tabs (screens), Songs, Playlists, Forums, More.
You will find help in More > Help, tutorials, although generally the information refers to newer versions of iReal Pro.
You will find various YouTube videos based on this older version of iReal Pro upload by our users. You will find the backup button in More > Backup.
----
FURTHER HELP
You will find our user guide, tutorials in More > Help (old versions of iReal Pro) or Settings in iReal Pro (v2021 or higher).
Please search YouTube where some of our users have uploaded videos of how they use Android.
Because of the complications of the Android emulators, we are unable to provide further technical support. You might find help from other users in the iReal Pro forum (or search for any relevant thread before starting a new one). You must be registered at the forum (manually register after purchase) and logged in to post a question.
One of our users demonstrates iReal Pro in BlueStacks here.
Please search through your emulator's FAQs and support information, or ask at their forum if you have problems with setting the emulator up or its function and options.