Microsoft is discontinuing Android apps for Windows. The company said it is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), the core component behind the Amazon Appstore (and other Android apps) in Windows 11. Microsoft told Engadget that it was responding to “evolving user needs.”
Microsoft first said in 2021 that Windows 11 will be able to run Android apps. When it arrived the following year, users could install the Amazon Appstore, and some individual Android apps were found in the Microsoft Store. The rollout was seen as a response to the twin threats of Android apps on Chromebooks and iOS apps on Apple Silicon Macs.
A Microsoft spokesperson explained to Engadget why it is now removing the feature. “As part of our commitment to meet the evolving needs of customers, we periodically update our product offerings,” they said. “This includes the introduction of new technical innovations and the withdrawal of products from use. Microsoft remains committed to an open platform and ecosystem, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the best experiences and applications on Windows.”
With Microsoft diving headfirst into all things AI, it may now see its past attempts to make Windows a dramatically better touch-centric platform no longer worth the resources. Another possibility, as The Verge speculates, is that people looking for Android apps on Windows were expecting the full Google Play Store experience — not Amazon’s variant, which has a poorer overall selection.
Microsoft says that users who installed the Amazon Appstore (or other apps and games that use WSA) on their Windows 11 machines before Tuesday can continue using them until March 5, 2025. Meanwhile, Amazon clarified that its Appstore and associated apps will no longer be visible in the Microsoft Store starting Wednesday. In addition, developers can no longer submit new apps for the Amazon Appstore on Windows, but those who have existing ones can continue to submit updates for them until this time next year.
As for what’s next for Microsoft, the company is rumored to launch new Surface devices on March 21. The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are expected, and the company may sell them as its first computers with artificial intelligence.