What you need to know
- A Microsoft Store listing for the Windows Subsystem for Android has been discovered.
- The listing is only a placeholder and does not let you use the Windows Subsystem for Android.
- Microsoft recently delayed the launch of Android app support on Windows 11.
Windows 11 will ship on October 5 without support for Android apps, but the feature is still on the way. A listing for the Windows Subsystem for Android recently appeared in the Microsoft Store. Unfortunately for those anxious to test out Android apps on Windows 11, the listing is just a placeholder.
The Windows Subsystem for Android store listing has existed since June 24, 2021, but was recently discovered by XDA.
The overview and system requirements of the listing don't provide much detail. Its description states, "Microsoft Confidential – For testing purposes – Please do not take screenshots or communicate about the content." The system requirements also have at least one mistake.
The OS minimum requirements listed for the Windows Subsystem for Android are "Windows 10 version 22000.0 or higher, Xbox One." This appears to be a typo, as build 22000.0 is Windows 11, not Windows 10. Windows 11 build 22449 rolled out to Insiders in the Dev Channel yesterday.
Microsoft hasn't mentioned Android apps coming to Xbox consoles at any point. While the system requirements mention Xbox One, the overview section only lists the Windows Subsystem for Android as being available on PCs. It's unlikely that Android apps are on the way to Xbox consoles, so people shouldn't read into the listed system requirements of a placeholder for an app.
The delay of Android app support on Windows 11 disappointed some people, but it should be available in testing over the coming months. We don't know the exact timeframe for when Microsoft will make support for Android apps on Windows 11 generally available.
