Microsoft brings Android apps to Windows 11 with a tonne of caveats

Microsoft has introduced Android apps for Windows 11, a feature that it teased when it announced its latest OS. Arriving out of nowhere, Android apps are not tied to a specific Windows 11 build. Unfortunately, there are a few caveats beyond participating in the Windows Insider Preview Programme. As Microsoft outlines in a blog post, Android app support is only available on the Beta Channel. According to the company, Android apps will be available to preview in the Dev Channel 'down the road'.

Additionally, your device must have its region set to US, a simple procedure that the company details in a support document. You may also need to enable virtualisation for your PC's BIOS or UEFI, which you can read about in a separate document. Moreover, you can only download Android apps if you have a US-based Amazon account. If you have gotten that far, your machine must comply with Microsoft's rigid system requirements, which are not necessary to run Windows 11. Specifically, your machine must have at least an 8th Generation Intel Core i3, AMD Ryzen 3000 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c processor, along with 8 GB of RAM and an SSD.

Microsoft has not confirmed when it plans to roll out Android app support globally on the Beta channel, let alone a timeline for bringing the Amazon Appstore to all Windows 11 users. Likewise, we remain none the wiser about APK sideloading, either. Overall, today's announcement is the first step for bringing Android app support to Windows 11. Accordingly, there are just 50 apps to test, including the Kindle app. It is also worth stressing that apps coming out of modern standby will encounter issues, and performance could vary if you run multiple Android apps simultaneously.

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