What you need to know
- Windows 11 will support Android apps!
- Android apps will come via the Amazon App Store.
- Windows 11 launches this fall.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will support Android apps via the Amazon App Store! These apps will be locally installed, meaning they will show up in the Taskbar and Start menu and not require your smartphone to function. All your favorite hits, from TikTok to Uber, will be available for your Windows-using convenience (if you're not already using many of these apps' web-based PC counterparts).
Not much is known about how it all works, but Microsoft is using Intel Bridge Technology, according to a press release.
Microsoft didn't go into much detail, but it's likely that Android apps on Windows 11 are powered by Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. These apps will be discoverable in the Microsoft Store.
While Amazon apps do not support Google Play, the long-term plan is to get even more Android stores into the Microsoft one. That could mean Samsung and even Google Play down the road as Amazon alone is not the end goal.
Alongside this news, Microsoft also unveiled a brand new Microsoft Store app, with a focus on being an open storefront for any app on Windows. This includes Win32, UWP, PWA, and now, Android apps. Windows 11 is expected to ship this fall, and that's when Android app support on Windows will be made available to the public.
This Android news is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Windows 11 news from today. We learned it'll be a free upgrade for existing Windows users, it'll heavily feature Microsoft Teams (poor Skype), and it'll have a whole host of new productivity tools. With that being said, this Android development was not expected, so it's a welcome cherry on top of the already incredible operating system-flavored sundae.
However, even with all the announcements we did receive, it's worth noting that certain items weren't announced, such as a hard release date for Windows 11 that'll let people know exactly when they can grab the OS. And, lest we forget, there was also a lack of Surface Neo news, otherwise known as the most important item that could've possibly been addressed.
