Just a few years ago, in 2021, Windows 11 was officially updated to support Android applications via the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), a virtual machine maintained by Microsoft. An Amazon-Microsoft partnership enabled Windows 11 users to install and operate nearly the entire suite of Android applications via the WSA, with the option to do so via Amazon’s Android marketplace, the Amazon Appstore.
Windows 11 is currently losing access to the Amazon Appstore and official Android app support.
Microsoft declared its intention to cease WSA maintenance within the next year today. Users of Windows 11 who have previously installed applications from the Amazon Appstore or Android will retain access to those applications until March 5, 2025. However, beyond that date, access will be restricted. Additionally, Amazon intends to prohibit new users from obtaining the Amazon Appstore from the Microsoft Store, which is the official app store for Windows, beginning tomorrow.
Amazon wrote in a blog post published today, “Customers may continue to use Amazon Appstore apps that they previously installed and will continue to receive app updates after March 6.” “After March 5, 2024, developers will be unable to submit new apps targeting Windows 11. However, developers who already have an app can continue to submit app updates until the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is completely discontinued.”
Andrew Cunningham of Ars Technica notes that while the WSA was a convenient method to run Android applications on Windows, it was initially constrained by its inability to access the official Android app store, the Google Play Store—at least not without workarounds. The Amazon Appstore offered a more limited selection of applications, which likely prompted users to frequently opt for native Windows or web-based alternatives instead of installing the apps via the WSA.
Put simply, the utilization of WSA was likely quite minimal during a period when Microsoft’s focus was conspicuously shifted elsewhere, including towards generative AI and its diverse iterations within the Windows platform.
Despite the fact that Microsoft is discontinuing support for the WSA, it is still possible to utilize Android applications on Windows. Waydroid, an Android emulator for Windows and macOS, and BlueStacks, which offers support for Android applications via Linux-based system containers, are two examples of the numerous third-party alternatives available.
Furthermore, there seems to be an unwavering dedication from Microsoft to establishing a connection between Windows and Android devices.
Microsoft introduced a feature this week that enables Android users to utilize the camera on their device as a webcam on Windows 11. On other platforms, Microsoft maintains applications such as Link to Windows, which enables users of Android (and iOS) to check and dismiss notifications, initiate and receive phone calls, and reply to messages from a Windows PC.