When Windows 11 was released by Microsoft 2 years ago, it was compatible with Android apps. This meant that a user could interact with an Android application on their Windows laptop if they had undergone the necessary optimization and checks.
The only issue was that the app had to be published through the Amazon Appstore. The Amazon Appstore hosts Android apps that can be downloaded and installed on Amazon’s own devices running an Android fork, Fire OS, and any other compatible Android device (including the one you’re using to read this article).
This is because Microsoft had been unable to strike a deal with Google (which has Android apps running on Chrome OS, its own desktop effort, and Fuschia OS, an open-source operating system it developed) . A partnership with Amazon was a good way to circumvent this limitation.
Microsoft’s latest communication after its Build developer conference keynote, where it revealed ambitious plans to have as many parts of its popular desktop operating system powered by artificial intelligence as possible, shows that it allows more Android app developers to submit their apps for review and release for use on Windows 11.
The problem here is that said developers must have accounts on the Amazon Appstore.
“Any developer with an Amazon Appstore Developer account can now submit their apps for distribution on Windows 11 devices,” Microsoft said in the communication.
“We are focused on creating an open store ready for the new era of AI and providing developers with new tools like Microsoft Store Ads to reach even more customers.”
In 2021, when Microsoft announced Android apps were coming to Windows, there were only 50 apps to show what it looked like. With over 50,000 Android apps dotting the Amazon Appstore, this recent move gives Windows 11 users access to tens of thousands of Android apps.
Of course, in addition to having accounts on the Amazon Appstore, developers will need to optimize their apps for desktop use. For example, ensuring they can resize to take up more or less screen real estate, depending on user preference, being able to play nicely with touch screens on desktop and laptop computers as well as the inputting the physical mouse and keyboard in their various forms, shapes and sizes to ensure a desirable user experience.
Android apps can run on Windows computers thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Android (recently updated to support Android 13), allowing the Windows operating system to properly mimic anything offered in the environment. traditional where an Android app would run on an Android device running some version of the Android operating system.
One must have the latest version of Windows (11) installed on his computer, have also installed the Amazon Appstore and ensure that his computer has 8 GB of RAM installed and is running on a 64-bit processor architecture in order to use Android apps on Windows.
