Windows 11 Will Run Android Apps: What It Means For Users

Windows 11 has made its debut rocking a fresh design language and some neat multitasking tricks, but the biggest change is likely to be support for Android apps. With support, Microsoft means native support. For reference, this is not the software giant’s first try at bringing Android apps to its PC ecosystem. Microsoft previously tried with Project Astoria, allowing developers to port over their Android apps to Windows.

Microsoft has even tried to bring iOS apps over to its PC ecosystem using a bridge to create Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that can run on Windows 10 devices. However, like Project Astoria, that didn’t take off either. Apple, on the other hand, took advantage of the shared architecture enjoyed by its A-series and M-series chips to successfully allow iPhone apps to run natively on Macs. Unwilling to concede, Microsoft recently took another shot at Windows-Android harmony with its Your Phone app, but the scope has been far too limited.

Windows 11 finally appears set to solve the ‘Android apps on Windows’ problem — with some help from Amazon. Microsoft has confirmed that Android apps will be listed on the Microsoft Store, although they will need to be installed via the Amazon Appstore. What this means is only Android apps currently available from the Amazon Appstore can be downloaded on a Windows 11 PC, and not the entire Google Play Store catalog.

A Humble Start, But Huge Potential

Microsoft has managed to bring Android apps to Windows 11 using the Intel Bridge technology. In technical terms, it is a runtime post-compiler that allows apps to run natively on x86-based devices. More simply, Intel’s Bridge tech does the reverse of what Apple’s Rosetta 2 tech does on Macs — allowing x86 software to run on ARM-based Macs. However, Microsoft says Windows 11 machines with an AMD chip inside — and even those with ARM silicon — will be able to run Android apps as well.

The benefits are obvious. The ability to run Android apps on a PC means users don’t have to switch between their phone and laptop every time they want to watch a TikTok video, book an Uber, or enjoy some Game of War – Fire Age to let off some steam. The best part is that these apps will run just like regular Windows software on a laptop or desktop, as they’ll appear in the taskbar, can be minimized or opened just like a regular PC app, and run in a portrait view just like they are supposed to on a phone. All that is possible without having to worry too much about hardware requirements. However, the download process might be a bit tricky, at least in the beginning. Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, told the Wall Street Journal that when users see an Android app in the Microsoft Store and try to download it, they will first have to sign in to their Amazon account. While this is a one-time process., another minor issue is that the Amazon Appstore has a comparatively small catalog of apps and even misses out on some useful ones, such as Slack and even individual Office apps, including Excel.

Microsoft is open to hosting other third-party Android app stores on the Microsoft Store. Assuming Microsoft’s invitation gets a positive response, users will then gain access to a good selection of apps that run on their Windows 11 PC, without having to worry about their favorite app not being available via the Amazon Appstore. In fact, CEO Satya Nadella even expressed willingness for iPhones to play well with Windows. Of course, the Windows ball is now in Apple’s court, which probably means it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

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