Though leaks had already done their rounds a week prior, Microsoft finally unveiled Windows 11 officially today. There’s much to marvel at and be excited about, and much still that may have disheartened some users as well. But there was one announcement that had us all – the integration of Android apps to Windows 11. It’s been confirmed that most Android apps will now be available on the revamped Microsoft Store, and this will be done through the Amazon Appstore.
Though the quality of life improvement that this will bring is something that we’ll have to wait and find out, it may not be all that rosy and smooth going for everyone, especially if your apps are purchased on Google Play. Here’s everything you need to know about Android apps on Windows 11.
What to expect with Android apps on Windows 11
The close-knit integration of Android apps in Windows 11 was well demonstrated at the event. They will be available straight from the Start menu, the taskbar, and will take advantage of system defaults to help you quickly move back and forth between devices and continue where you left off. The apps will be installed locally and won’t have to depend on your phone to function.
These apps will be available via the Amazon Appstore and, as Microsoft puts it, will bring “your favorite mobile apps now on Windows”.
Microsoft Store will still be the primary interface for apps, but the apps that are available through the Amazon Appstore will see a “Get from Amazon Appstore” button instead of the traditional install/get button.
Even though one cannot deny that Amazon Appstore is one of the biggest app stores, this integration through Amazon Appstore may not work for everyone.
Your Play Store purchases will not carry over
Amazon Appstore may have a wide variety of apps, but it still lacks a lot of apps that the general user might expect it to have. Sure, there are apps like TikTok which Microsoft didn’t forget to slip in quietly into the event. But Amazon apps do not support Google Play. So the apps (and in-app purchases) that you’ve bought on Play Store will not transfer over.
Even the Google apps which most of us interact with on a daily basis won’t be available.
You will most likely have to buy paid android apps again on the Amazon Appstore to use them on Windows 11 and take advantage of the changes that the new OS brings.
Nevertheless, this may not be the final frontier for Android apps on Windows 11. Microsoft’s long-term plan is to bring more Android stores to Microsoft Store to have a much larger catalog and also to better the existing Android app experience on Windows 11. We might yet see other app stores added to the list down the line, perhaps even Google Play.
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