Nintendo DS emulators for Android allow you to play DS games on your smartphone or tablet. There are several contenders for the best DS emulator for Android, most of which are completely free.

My NDS Emulator is designed to work with devices running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and above, but it will also run Android 5.0 (Lollipop), so it's a good option for older phones. You can customize the on-screen controls and connect controllers for other systems, such as the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, to play DS games on your Android device.

NDS4droid has been around for a while. While it hasn’t received any updates recently, the source code is readily available and is a treasure trove of information for developers interested in early DS emulation. NDS4droid includes many extra features, such as save states and built-in Action Replay cheats. It even supports games for the OUYA game console.

RetroArch is a multi-functional video game emulator for every platform, from Android to Linux. The Android version supports games for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and the original Game Boy, as well as console games and non-Nintendo systems. That said, you will need to download the core for each emulator. You can even play and create your own homebrew games for the DS using the Libretro API.