There was much excitement in the tech world when Microsoft announced that Windows 11 would start supporting Android apps. The announcement came late last year when the initial release of Windows 11 was originally rolled out to the public. At first, the Android apps support was only available for Windows Insider beta-testing users, but now, it is finally available for all users. The full-scale Android apps support has been released as part of the latest feature-packed Windows 11 update KB5010414.
Before all this was possible, a range of emulators had capitalized on Microsoft being late to the party. They have since dominated this aspect of enabling you to use android apps on your PC. Emulators like Bluestacks have over the years supported this feature, particularly exploiting the expansive and booming market for mobile games. Unlike casino online games where you can still enjoy the gaming experience on your PC via the browser if your mobile device doesn’t support the native app, mobile gamers often don’t have that flexibility. So the next best option was to use the emulators.
Well, we can all now breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, the coveted feature that many had looked forward to is here albeit, a couple of months late – it had been scheduled for release late last year, but there were some unforeseen delays. These Android apps are accessible on Windows 11 via the Amazon App Store.
System Requirements for Running Android Apps on Windows 11
Before you finally start enjoying your favourite Android apps on Windows, you must first enable hardware-assisted virtualization on your Windows 11 device from the BIOS. But what exactly is hardware-assisted virtualization? Essentially, hardware virtualization is a feature that allows you to install and run multiple guest operating systems on your PC. Microsoft uses ‘Hyper-V,’ an in-house hypervisor feature to let you install and run the different operating systems without forcing you to wipe a drive clean or create separate partitions.
You can check whether your windows 11 has hardware virtualization by going to the “performance” tab in task manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. If hardware virtualization isn’t enabled, switch the feature on before proceeding.
Beyond that, for the best Android apps experience on Windows 11, your device should also meet the following system requirements:
RAM: at least 8 GB, but 16 GB is recommended
Type of Storage: SSD (Solid State Drive)
Processor: Core i3 Coffee Lake (8th Gen), Ryzen 3000, Snapdragon 8c or higher
Type of Processor: x64 or ARM64
How to Run Android Apps on Windows 11
With system requirements sorted, here are the steps you should follow to start enjoying Android apps on Windows 11:
First, open the Microsoft App Store on your PC.
Search for the Amazon Appstore in your Microsoft App Store
A setup will pop up and guide you through the download process
Restart your PC.
Sign in to your Amazon account if you have one. Create an Amazon account if you do not already have one.
Feel free to start downloading the Android Apps available on your PC
What Can Expect with Android Apps on Windows?
How will this experience feel? Well, the apps blend in quite well with the new snap layout feature. The new snap layout feature allows you to seamlessly alternate between two functions running concurrently. Therefore, it will be easy for you to use two or more apps at a go. You will also get notifications from the installed apps at the notification center. So, the experience is not all too different from using your phone, where you get the messages via the notification bar.
The apps will also show up when you search for them just like any other app and will be well integrated into the start menu and the taskbar, just like the standard Windows Apps.
What Android Apps Can You Install?
Currently, there are 1,000 apps available to Windows 11 users via Amazon. Of course, 1,000 is quite a modest number when you compare it with the apps on offer via the Google play store, but it’s a good start. More apps will come along in the future as the feature continues to be refined: Some of the groups of Android apps you can currently enjoy on Windows 11 include:
Reading – Kindle, Comics
Mobile games – Coin Master, Lords Mobile, June’s Journey
Social media –TikTok, Discord, Reddit
Kids Content – Khan Academy Kinds, Lego Duplo World
Music – Spotify Music
Are There Any Issues So Far for Users?
As with everything new, we can expect some things may not go as seamlessly as planned. For instance, there may be bugs and stability issues, but that will be sorted out as users continue sharing their experiences. Again, the limited number of apps shouldn’t be a worry as developers are already working to ensure that more Android Apps are cross-compatible accessible on Windows 11. We are sure this feature will get better as time passes.
Either way, even with the few downsides, we are off to a positive start. We are all looking forward to seeing what the future holds. Aren’t we?
