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Windows 11 release date revealed, but Android app support won't be included
- Microsoft revealed the Windows 11 release date will be on October 5.
- This release will be missing the much-anticipated ability to run Android apps natively.
- Microsoft will begin testing Android app support via the Insider program over the coming months.
Microsoft has just announced that Windows 11 will arrive on October 5. It’s been a while since Microsoft announced the next major version of the Windows operating system. Currently, the new version is being beta-tested through the Windows Insider program.
Related: Windows 11 beta impressions
Eligible Windows 10 PCs will start getting the free upgrade from that date. Additionally, new PCs with Windows 11 will start being available for purchase on October 5, Microsoft has announced in a new blog post. There’s a major catch with this launch though. Windows 11 will not come with native Android app support when it arrives.
Windows 11 native Android app support to arrive later, Insider testing to begin soon
Microsoft has highlighted a bunch of the features that Windows 11 will ship with at launch. These include the new design, Snap Layouts, an updated Start menu, Microsoft Teams integration, and more.
However, the notable exception is one of those that many of us have been looking forward to. This launch will include the new Microsoft Store, but the company says it is still working on its journey to bring Android apps to Windows 11.
Aaron Woodman, general manager of Windows marketing at Microsoft, noted that the Android app support, which is being developed in collaboration with Amazon and Intel, will begin testing through the Windows Insider Program over the coming months.
We asked, you told us: Most of you plan to upgrade to Windows 11
The announcement also emphasizes that Windows 11 will be rolled out in a “phased and measured approach.” So while this feature being absent at launch may be a disappointment to some, Microsoft says it’s focusing on quality, so we can expect the final product to work well.
In the meantime, if you would like to install Windows 11 on an older unsupported PC, you will need to use an ISO to manually install it, and potentially lose access to Windows updates in the future.
Windows 11 native Android app support should arrive sometime in 2022, according to reasonable estimates.