Microsoft confirmed today that the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), which allowed Android apps to run on Windows 11, will be deprecated next year. Starting March 6th, 2024, existing Android apps installed on Windows 11 PCs will cease to function.
The announcement marks the end of an ambitious project first unveiled in 2021 to bring Android app support to the Windows desktop operating system.
Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android™️ (WSA). As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.
Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025.
Please reach out to our support team for further questions at support.microsoft.com. We are grateful for the support of our developer community and remain committed to listening to feedback as we evolve experiences.
Microsoft partnered with Amazon to integrate the Amazon Appstore and run Android apps in a virtualized environment on Windows 11.
When it launched in October 2022 across 31 countries, over 50,000 Android apps and games were available to install on Windows 11 out of the box. Apps ran in separate windows akin to traditional Windows programs and could integrate with desktop features like the Start menu and snap layouts.
Microsoft provided several updates adding support for newer Android versions up to 13, but the last major release was over nine months ago in June 2023. However, Windows Subsystem for Android failed to gain much traction with users and developers.
From March 6, 2024, new apps and updates can no longer be published to the Amazon Appstore on Windows, though existing apps will continue working for the next year.
Amazon today said its “Appstore will continue to be available and supported on other surfaces, including Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Android devices.”
Windows 11 users can explore alternatives like web apps or traditional desktop programs for their app needs going forward. Users can try the Google Play game which allows users to play the Android game of PC version. However, the program is still in its beta stage.
The shutdown reinforces how established mobile operating systems like Android and iOS remain the primary venues for running mobile apps on phones and tablets. Recent efforts to bridge that app gap on desktop PCs, like Windows 11's Android support and Apple's efforts to allow iOS apps on Macs, have seen limited success so far.
Ultimately, while an intriguing idea, integrating Android apps on the Windows desktop proved to be an uphill battle for Microsoft.
As the company deprioritizes this initiative, it will be interesting to see if they attempt a similar smartphone/desktop app convergence concept again in the future or take a different approach.