Microsoft will no longer let you use Android apps on Windows

Microsoft is ending support for Android apps in Windows. The company said it would terminate the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) functionality, which was the crux of the Amazon Appstore in Windows 11. First announced in 2021, the Android app support was seen as a move to fend off growing competition from Chromebooks and MacBooks, which offered customers simple ways to use mobile apps — something Windows lacks because of not having its mobile operating system anymore. However, the adoption remained slow and there was no interest from both customers and developers in the cause.

What Microsoft has to say

Engadget has reported that Microsoft is responding to “evolving customer needs” with the latest decision. “As part of our commitment to meeting evolving customer needs, we periodically update our product offerings,” the report quoted a Microsoft spokesperson as saying. They said even though WSA is going away for good, Microsoft “remains dedicated to an open platform and ecosystem,” and the company will continue to “bring the best experience and apps to Windows.”

Why Microsoft may have done it

While it is not immediately clear what Microsoft is hinting at, there are not practically many options for Windows 11. Since Windows Phone does not exist anymore, Microsoft has to rely on other mobile platforms to be able to offer a seamless PC-mobile experience on Windows 11. Unless Apple surprises us with a partnership with Microsoft to offer iOS apps — which will likely never happen, the Redmond giant only has Android left. But Microsoft is ending support (read: closing the door) for Android apps to work on Windows 11 by killing WSA.

WSA was an underlying component of the Amazon Appstore and any other Android app stores that might have been in development. Launched in 2021, the Amazon Appstore featured some Android apps, but the catalogue could never grow. Microsoft also offered some Android apps through the Microsoft Store, making the experience a little cumbersome. Although users could download and interact with Android apps on their PCs without needing their phones every time, the Amazon Appstore was not a full-fledged Play Store and offered an underwhelming experience, as The Verge has pointed out.

What customers can do

Those who have Android apps installed from the Amazon Appstore can continue using them until March 5, 2025. Amazon has said its Appstore and associate apps will no longer be available in the Microsoft Store, while developers cannot submit any new apps to the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11.