That's right: Android apps are finally coming to Windows. They'll be fully integrated into the next version of the operating system, Windows 11. You'll be able to discover and search for apps in a new Microsoft Store format. And apps will live next to Windows apps in the “ Start" or included in the new taskbar.
The announcement, made by Microsoft Product Manager Panos Panay, closed Thursday's Microsoft virtual event for Windows 11. Android apps are something that seems to run forever, but when will it happen. The updated operating system is released later this year. And the best news is that it looks like you don't need anything other than Windows 11 to make it work.
Long time coming
It looks like people have been trying to run Android apps on their Windows PC for a decade. (Uh wait, it's been a decade.) Microsoft has had a long time trying to catch up. App Developers to Windows Although tools have been developed for Android and iOS developers to port their apps to Windows.
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However, over the past few years, Microsoft has changed its strategy by taking steps to bring your phone experiences to your PC. From the community The Your Phone app, for example, lets you pair your Android device with a Windows 10 PC So you can send and read texts, make and receive calls, view your photos, and receive notifications.
Also read: Psyche app for Android on Windows 11? Here's how you can actually use it right now
Late last year, Microsoft started rolling out an update for Your Phone that lets you run Android apps from your phone on your Windows 10 PC. The functionality evolved from a relationship with Samsung, so it currently only works with Samsung devices.
Samsung has also worked closely with Microsoft and Intel on their latest Galaxy Book Pro laptops to give them the responsiveness of a phone as well as access to your Galaxy phone's features and apps. Apps always run in another window rather than directly on a PC.
Intel helped make this happen
However, Windows 11 won't rely on syncing your Android device with your PC. Instead, apps will run natively on it using Intel's Bridge technology," a later compiler for time Run Allows applications to run locally on x86 devices, including "running these applications on Windows". Intel said in its Windows 11 announcement.
Basically, instead of Microsoft trying to get Android developers to port their apps to Windows like in the past, Microsoft partnered with Intel to make them run on Windows 11 — no code changes required. AMD and Arm chips won't need a Bridge to run Android apps either.
Amazon is part of the package
While Intel helps make it possible to run Android apps on Windows 11, Amazon — not Google — will provide the apps to users. The Amazon App Store will be integrated into the Microsoft Store Updated and could incentivize The two companies are in the process.
Like Microsoft, Amazon has struggled to get developers to provide Android apps for its Appstore. Amazon Fire tablets run on a modified version of Android and anyone who has one can tell you that there are many glitches in what is available. End people install the Google Play Store because of that.
The Microsoft Store can be crazy to use, from selecting it to browsing to paying. With the redesign, Microsoft promises to make it easier for developers to get their apps on the Store and make more money doing it. Amazon is also using the new access to hundreds of millions of Windows customers to attract developers and expand their reach with access to the Appstore. There will be built-in search, navigation, and discovery for apps in the updated Microsoft Store.
It's not clear if you'll be able to download Android apps from other sources or install Google Play Services and the Play Store separately like Fire tablets. Amazon was the first to get involved, but Microsoft says it's not exclusive. We might find out in the weeks. Coming. A public beta will also be rolled out in July.
The lack of direct Google here isn't surprising either. After all, Google's rival Chrome OS already has access to Android apps through the Google Play Store. The point is that while it's been an option for years, not all Google apps work. Android on Chromebooks. Hopefully, Microsoft can avoid this the way apps work on PCs.
Why would I want Android apps on Windows?
The big goal of Windows 11 (and Windows 10 too, really) is this evolution toward an operating system and devices that work the same no matter how you use them. Your laptop experience should be as responsive as your phone. Besides, you should be able to do the same things regardless of the device.
The openness of Windows to Android apps means more tools for productivity and content creation, as well as entertainment and gaming. If you've ever wanted to easily play your favorite mobile games on your laptop or desktop, now that's possible. There are also services that provide a better mobile app experience from the web.
Adding apps means that Windows adapts to your needs more than you need to adapt to what the operating system can do. Adding Android apps to Chrome OS has greatly increased the appeal of Chromebooks. Adding that same flexibility to Windows should have a similar effect .