Microsoft Says Windows 11 Will Support Android Apps

Microsoft today revealed Windows 11 for a fall release, and honestly it is a mixed bag. The redesign is nice but really the new features announced are about the same as what we would get from a Windows 10 feature update. One exception is the Microsoft Store and specifically Microsoft revealing Android apps will run on Windows 11.

There is a certain irony that apps are the biggest news from the Windows 11 launch. App have been a problem for the Windows platform for year, a problem Microsoft has never been able to solve. The company’s latest attempt is the most obvious to date in terms of addressing the app game.

During the announcement, Microsoft’s product chief Panos Panay confirmed Android apps are coming to Windows. Yes, say goodbye to emulators. Importantly, Android apps will integrate completely with Windows 11.

This is not a Your Phone kind of deal. Microsoft’s app that lets users mirror their Android device to PC. On Windows 11, you will not need a smartphone to run Android apps on the platform. Instead, apps will run on Windows, including appearing in the Start menu and Taskbar.

New Store Experience
Amazon’s App Store is serving as the underpinning for this availability, but it seems that Android apps will appear in the newly designed Microsoft Store. It is worth noting that Amazon’s marketplace does not feature Google applications.

Microsoft didn’t mention what powers the availability of Android apps, but is probably leveraging the Windows Subsystem for Linux service.

This is part of Microsoft push with its new app store that is acting as a hub for all apps, from anywhere. No longer walled by restrictions, the Microsoft Store will feature PWA, UWP, Win32, and yes, Android apps.

Tip of the day: Though many VPN providers have their own apps, you can in many cases connect to a VPN in Windows 10 without any third-party software. This is ideal if you have a self-hosted VPN or if you’re using a PC with restricted permissions. In our tutorial, we’re showing you how to connect to a VPN in Windows 10.