Windows 11 will no longer be able to run Android apps
Microsoft is ending support for Android apps on Windows 11, potentially leaving users who paid for the apps out of pocket.
Windows users have been able to buy and run Android apps on Windows for the past few years. Apps are available through the Microsoft Store on Windows 11, although they are actually delivered by the Amazon Appstore.
Microsoft has quietly announced via its documentation page that Android support is ending in Windows 11, leaving users who purchased the apps stranded. “Microsoft is discontinuing support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA),” Microsoft’s update reads.
“As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all WSA-dependent apps and games will no longer be supported starting March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.”
Amazon also wrote to customers explaining the changes. It immediately stopped selling Android apps through Windows, and its FAQ page about Amazon Appstore retirement on Windows 11 claims that some apps may stop working properly before the March 2025 cut-off date.
“While we don’t expect an immediate impact on your ability to access apps between March 2024 and March 2025, over time some apps may not work properly,” Amazon claims.
Will Amazon refund app buyers?
Neither Amazon’s email to customers nor its FAQ page mentions compensating customers who have purchased Android apps to run on Windows.
In response to the question “What happens to my apps after the Amazon Appstore is discontinued on Windows 11?” the FAQ page states: “Apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore on your Windows 11 device will no longer be supported. The Amazon Appstore will continue to be available and supported on devices such as Fire TV, Fire Tablet and Android devices. We are committed to improving the Amazon Appstore experience.”
Amazon has been approached for comment.
There’s precedent for big tech companies refunding users when app store support ends. For example, Google provided full refunds for all game and hardware purchases for its Stadia game streaming service, which finally shut down in January 2023, nearly four years after it launched.
The Amazon Appstore was available on Windows for a much shorter time. It was first introduced as a public preview to US users in February 2022, before becoming more widely available later that year.
The key difference between Google Stadia and Amazon’s situation is that Microsoft appears to have pulled the rug out from under Amazon, dropping support for the Windows Android subsystem that is required for the Amazon Appstore and its apps to function.
Nevertheless, users may feel that two of the richest companies on the planet could work together to provide refunds to affected customers. Amazon posted a net profit of more than $30 billion for the fiscal year 2023, while Microsoft recorded a net profit of more than $70 billion.
It’s not clear how much it would cost the company to refund app buyers, but given that support for Android apps was withdrawn in just over two years, it’s probably safe to assume that the cost of refunding customers will be modest.