{"id":10399,"date":"2022-02-28T06:23:07","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T06:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1381512"},"modified":"2022-02-28T06:23:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T06:23:07","slug":"how-to-install-android-apps-on-windows-11-the-easy-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=10399","title":{"rendered":"How to install Android apps on Windows 11, the easy way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span>By far the biggest surprise Microsoft had in store with Windows 11 \u2014 besides <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Windows 11<\/a> itself <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/windows-11-had-to-happen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>existing<\/span><\/a><span> \u2014 was that the OS would be able to run <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/android\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Android<\/a> apps, thanks to a partnership with Amazon. In one fell swoop, Microsoft dramatically improved the utility of the oft-maligned <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/Microsoft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Microsoft<\/a> Store. There <\/span><i><span>are<\/span><\/i><span> some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/good-microsoft-store-apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>decent apps in the Microsoft Store<\/span><\/a><span>, but there are simply way more Android apps to choose from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And then \u2014 because nobody releases finished software these days \u2014 Microsoft announced the Android feature would arrive at a later date.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Four months later and that highly anticipated update is finally here, albeit limited to US customers at the time of publication. Here\u2019s our guide to getting you set up with Android apps, whether you want to stick to the official method or you want to risk sideloading apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How to set up Android apps on Windows 11<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Luckily, setting up Android compatibility is easy-peasy \u2014 if you\u2019re only planning on trying officially-approved apps, anyway. First, let\u2019s make sure your system is compatible. You will need at least:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>8GB of RAM (16 GB is recommended).<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>A minimum of an Intel Core i3 8th Gen, AMD Ryzen 3000, or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c CPU.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>720p (1280 x 720) display.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>An SSD; Android apps aren\u2019t compatible with old school hard drives for some reason.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>Windows 11 build 22000.426 or higher.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>The latest version of the Microsoft Store.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>If your hardware is compatible \u2014 most PCs that can run Windows 11 should be fine \u2014 then it\u2019s just a matter of running Windows update to make sure you\u2019re on the latest build of the OS and the Microsoft Store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Once that\u2019s in order, simply head on over to the Microsoft Store, search for \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/store\/productId\/9NJHK44TTKSX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Amazon Appstore Preview<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019 and install the software. This will also install the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), the behind-the-scenes engine (powered by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/what-intel-bridge-technology-and-how-does-it-get-android-apps-working-windows-11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Intel Bridge<\/span><\/a><span> technology) that allows all sorts of Android apps to run on Windows 11 relatively smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381514 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b.png\" alt width=\"1139\" height=\"789\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1139px) 100vw, 1139px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b.png 1139w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-280x194.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-195x135.png 195w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-390x270.png 390w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-796x551.png 796w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381514\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b.png\" alt width=\"1139\" height=\"789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b.png 1139w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-280x194.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-195x135.png 195w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-390x270.png 390w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_2982270b-796x551.png 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>Then simply search for \u2018Amazon Appstore\u2019 (that\u2019s not a typo, it\u2019s just Amazon\u2019s edgy spelling) in your Start menu, open the app, and log in with (or create) your Amazon account. You\u2019ll see a curated selection of apps to choose from. The Amazon Appstore currently only offers about 1,000 apps and games \u2014 most of them rather basic \u2014 but more are being added all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How do Android apps compare to Windows apps?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Other than a different aesthetic, Android apps pretty much behave like any regular Windows app. They will show up in your Start menu, and they can be pinned there or your taskbar as well. You can generally use your mouse, keyboard, and\/or touch input to interact with the apps. They can also usually be resized at will, although you should keep in mind many Android apps are not optimized for use in landscape mode.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The main difference you\u2019ll notice is that when you open an Android app, you\u2019ll have to wait for the Windows Subsystem for Android to load first, which can be a little slow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you expect to be running Android apps often, you can head over to Windows Subsystem for Android Settings from the Start menu, and under the section dubbed \u2018Subsystem resources,\u2019 select the \u2018Continuous\u2019 option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381517 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896.png\" alt width=\"1223\" height=\"862\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1223px) 100vw, 1223px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896.png 1223w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-280x197.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-192x135.png 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-796x561.png 796w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381517\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896.png\" alt width=\"1223\" height=\"862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896.png 1223w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-280x197.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-192x135.png 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29827896-796x561.png 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>This will keep WSA running in the background so your apps load instantly. This could presumably cause a performance hit on your PC, but I haven\u2019t personally noticed any issues so far.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You can also use the settings menu to view files associated with or downloaded by Android apps, choose which GPU you\u2019d like to power graphics, and enable developer mode \u2014 necessary if you plan on sideloading apps (more on that below).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What about installing apps that aren\u2019t on the Amazon Appstore?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Unfortunately, most of the officially-sanctioned apps are not very exciting, and as Google seemingly wasn\u2019t involved in creating this new feature, you won\u2019t find anything that relies upon Google services (Google is currently working on its own method of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/google-officially-bringing-android-games-windows-pcs-youll-have-wait\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>bringing Android <\/span><i><span>games<\/span><\/i><span> to Windows<\/span><\/a><span>, but there\u2019s no word on other kinds of apps).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although we recommend most people stick to the official way of getting Android apps, the WSA means you <\/span><i><span>can<\/span><\/i><span> run all sorts of apps on Windows 11. You will have to use some elbow grease, and anything that requires Google services won\u2019t work without extensive workarounds. But many have successfully sideloaded a variety of unapproved Android apps onto Windows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Needless to say, you should exercise an abundance of caution when sideloading apps. There\u2019s a good chance the app you\u2019re trying to sideload will either act wonky or won\u2019t work at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>With that disclaimer out of the way, there are many ways you could go about sideloading Android apps, but I\u2019m going to focus on the easiest method I know.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>First things first, make sure you\u2019ve enabled Developer Mode in WSA Settings, as noted in the earlier section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381513 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc.png\" alt width=\"1223\" height=\"862\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1223px) 100vw, 1223px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc.png 1223w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-280x197.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-192x135.png 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-796x561.png 796w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381513\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc.png\" alt width=\"1223\" height=\"862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc.png 1223w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-280x197.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-192x135.png 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_298226cc-796x561.png 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>Once that\u2019s done, install<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/p\/wsatools\/9n4p75dxl6fg?activetab=pivot:overviewtab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>WSATools<\/span><\/a><span> from the Microsoft Store. This app does two things. First, it installs the Android Debug Bridge (part of Google\u2019s official developer toolkit), which is required for sideloading apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1381516 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797.png\" alt width=\"1112\" height=\"969\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1112px) 100vw, 1112px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797.png 1112w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-241x210.png 241w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-155x135.png 155w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-310x270.png 310w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-796x694.png 796w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/android-apps-windows-11#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2022%2F02%2F28%2Fandroid-apps-windows-11%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: That 3.7-star rating is definitely giving me \u201cit works\u2026 most of the time\u201d vibes.\" data-title=\"Share That 3.7-star rating is definitely giving me \u201cit works\u2026 most of the time\u201d vibes. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share That 3.7-star rating is definitely giving me \u201cit works\u2026 most of the time\u201d vibes. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>That 3.7-star rating is definitely giving me \u201cit works\u2026 most of the time\u201d vibes.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1381516 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797.png\" alt width=\"1112\" height=\"969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797.png 1112w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-241x210.png 241w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-155x135.png 155w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-310x270.png 310w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822797-796x694.png 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>Note that a few users have reported having trouble installing ADB from WSATools, in which case you can download it manually<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.android.com\/studio\/releases\/platform-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>from Google<\/span><\/a><span>. You can then point WSATools to wherever you extract the \u201cplatform-tools\u201d folder from Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Second, it allows you to install Android apps (.apk files) with one click \u2014 no need to mess with the command line. You can find APKs for thousands of apps on sites like<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apkmirror.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"> <span>APKMirror<\/span><\/a><span> and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/m.apkpure.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>APKPure<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Once ADB is set up, simply point WSA Tools to your APK file, and it should install right away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381515 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749.png\" alt width=\"774\" height=\"533\" sizes=\"(max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749.png 774w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-280x193.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-196x135.png 196w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-392x270.png 392w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1381515\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749.png\" alt width=\"774\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749.png 774w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-280x193.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-196x135.png 196w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Snag_29822749-392x270.png 392w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>If for whatever reason WSATools isn\u2019t able to install the APK you could try a similar app from the Windows Store. Or, you could just do it the pro way if you\u2019re comfortable with Command Prompt \u2014 XDA has a great guide on how to sideload apps via ADB<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xda-developers.com\/how-to-sideload-android-apps-on-windows-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Hopefully sideloading won\u2019t be necessary much longer, as more developers will place their Android apps in the Amazon Appstore over the coming months now that the feature is open to the public. But in the meantime, this guide should help get you started.<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/android-apps-windows-11\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By far the biggest surprise Microsoft had in store with Windows 11 \u2014 besides Windows 11 itself existing \u2014 was that the OS would be able to run Android apps, thanks to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10399"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}