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Game changer: Windows 11 Android app support announced
- Microsoft has announced Windows 11 Android app support is coming to the next version of its PC OS.
- The apps will be available via the Amazon Appstore.
- Android apps will work with Windows 11’s new layout features.
PC users will no longer have to use a third-party solution to run Android apps on Windows. During today’s Windows 11 livestream, the company has announced that the OS will run Android apps natively.
According to Microsoft’s Windows leader Panos Panay, Android apps will be available to download from the Microsoft Store via an integrated version of the Amazon Appstore. Once installed, they will not only run on the OS but users can utilize Windows 11’s new Snap Layouts. This will allow the applications to run in a separate section of the screen, while other Windows apps — such as Word or the Edge browser — will run on other sections of the layout. The new feature is helped in part by a partnership with Intel. Windows 11 will use Intel Bridge technology to allow those apps to run on x86-based processors.
Will you be using Android apps on your Windows 11 PC?
Microsoft has not announced if it will get any money from paid Android apps from its Windows 11 version of the Amazon Appstore. However, the fact that the OS can run Android apps with no extra help could be a game-changer for app developers. Previously, emulators like BlueStacks were needed to run those apps on Windows PCs. With native support on Windows 11, those applications could more easily expand their reach to the tens of millions of PC owners.
Hopefully, we will get more information on this new feature as Microsoft reveals more about the next version of Windows. Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for current users of Windows 10 if their PC meets the system requirements.