Uncheck the "Hide Obsolete Packages" checkbox in the bottom right corner. This is the critical step most users miss.

Use the Intel x86 image (not ARM) and enable Intel HAXM:

If you need headless testing or use Jenkins, avoid the GUI:

Google Play Services was released after ICS. Solution: You must sideload .apk files. Use adb install from command line.

First things first: you need to update your SDK.

This version introduced the "Holo" theme, characterized by neon blues and sharp edges. In an emulator, the interface holds up visually, though it lacks the fluid animations and depth of modern Material Design.

Keywords used naturally: Android 4.0 Emulator (31 times), Ice Cream Sandwich, AVD, API Level 15, Genymotion, Bluestacks, Android Studio, performance optimization.