Windows 11 Supports Android Apps But There Is A Catch

One of the major features of Windows 11 OS is that it can now support Android apps natively. Up until now, one has to install an Android emulator to use Android apps natively on the Windows OS. This development makes it easy to download and access Android apps natively on a Windows laptop or a computer.

To install Android apps on a Windows 11 PC, one should install Amazon Appstore. On top of that, one can also sideload APKs directly to the PC. Practically speaking, Amazon Appstore only has a limited number of apps and games, when compared to the Google Play Store. Hence, sideloading should solve this drawback to an extent, however, there are still some major issues that might haunt this functionality.

It has been a common practice on Android smartphones, tablets, and even Chrome OS devices to sideload Android APKs. However, the aforementioned categories do support Google Play Services, hence, most Android apps will run fine and it is not the case with Windows 11. When it comes to Windows, despite having support for sideloading, some of the Android apps might not work properly.

Though feature like sideloading does come with a few security issues, Windows OS has always been known for being open for third-party app installation and this move isn't any different.

Why Did Microsoft Chose Amazon Appstore Over Google Play Store?

Though the company hasn't confirmed an exact reason why it partnered with Amazon, it does look like this decision was not impulsive rather a trade-related choice. Google is currently the flagbearer of Android OS, and the same applies to the Google Play Store.

On top of that, Microsoft has to share revenue with Google if it incorporated Play Store. Lastly, with Amazon Appstore getting a brand new platform to host its apps, we could finally expect publishers to include their apps natively on the Amazon Appstore along with Google Play Store.

How To Sideload Android Apps On Windows 11?

As of now, there is no information on how this feature works, and Microsoft has confirmed to share more information on the same in the coming days. Given how sideloading works on Android devices, the feature is expected to be disabled by default, and there could be a switch to enable the same, which should allow users to install third-party Android apps on a PC running on Windows 11 OS.