What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced that it will retire the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 on March 5, 2025.
- After that date, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all apps that rely on the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 will no longer be supported.
- Meanwhile, Amazon sent an email explaining that the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 will no longer be available starting today, March 6, 2024.
Microsoft has suddenly announced the discontinuation of Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) on Windows 11. Users have until March 5, 2025 to find alternative ways to run Android apps on their PCs, as after that date all apps that rely on WSA will no longer be supported. But Amazon may have just accelerated the effective limit for Android apps on Windows 11.
Amazon has sent an email to Amazon Appstore users stating that the store will no longer be available, starting today, March 6, 2024. That’s a full year before the end of WSA support on Windows 11. While those who already have the Amazon Appstore installed on their computer will still be able to use it, anyone looking to try Android apps on Windows 11 won’t have it as an option.
WSA has no official support for Google Play Services and the Google Play Store, leaving the Amazon Appstore as the preferred way to install Android apps on Windows 11. It is possible to sideload Android apps on Windows 11, though it might be a futile effort as it will no longer be supported by March 2025
Amazon sent the following email to Amazon Appstore users on Windows 11:
“Dear customer,
We are writing to inform you of changes to the availability of the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11.
As of March 6, 2024, the Amazon Appstore will no longer be available for download from the Microsoft Store on Windows 11 devices. After March 5, 2025, the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 and all apps downloaded from it will no longer be supported. For additional details and insights on this transition, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section: www.amazon.com/appstoreonwindowsFAQ
Despite this change, we want to assure you that the Amazon Appstore will continue to be available and supported on Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Android devices. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work to improve and develop the Amazon Appstore experience on these devices.
If you have additional questions, please contact Amazon customer service.
Amazon Appstore”
From now until March 2025, people will be able to use Android apps installed through the Amazon Appstore and reinstall apps that were previously installed. However, some functions may deteriorate during that year. After termination, the Amazon Appstore will no longer be supported.
Android apps on Windows 11
While the discontinuation of the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 came suddenly, it’s not surprising when you consider how little the feature did to differentiate itself from other options. The lack of official support for the Google Play Store and the poor selection of apps in the Amazon Appstore have given people little reason to use the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11.
I applaud Microsoft’s technical achievement of making Android apps work on Windows 11 and having a dedicated subsystem, but the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 has always felt like a proof of concept rather than a finished product.
I also appreciate the efforts of Simone Franco who creates WSATools and other developers who have worked to improve the Android experience on Windows. But while the efforts are laudable, I wonder if many people will miss using Android apps on their PC.
Even after Microsoft’s announcement, I’ve yet to see people list the must-have Android apps they use in Windows 11. Ironically, Microsoft’s own Outlook app might be the best argument for running Android apps in Windows 11, especially since Microsoft launched a controversial new the Outlook application for Windows.
Additionally, there are other ways to run Android apps on PCs, such as BlueStacks. It could be argued that BlueStacks has always offered a better way to run Android apps on Windows 11 than Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11, although that comes down to personal preference.