When Microsoft first announced Windows 11 in June 2021, one of its flagship features was support for Android apps. It seemed like a match made in heaven: Apple’s ecosystem does allow certain iOS apps to run on macOS, so it makes sense to allow Android and PC users to do the same.
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite going the way Microsoft probably hoped they would. On Tuesday, we learned that the company is discontinuing the Windows Subsystem for Android. End-of-life plans aren’t immediate: Microsoft is giving users until March 5, 2025 to download Android apps to their PCs. However, after this period, you will no longer be able to install new Android applications on your computer, and the ones you have installed will not receive support in the future. Shit.
The Windows Subsystem for Android was never a perfect solution. Instead of natively transferring apps from Android OS to Windows, the system allows users to download apps from the Amazon Appstore. While there are plenty of options to choose from, it’s far from the full experience that dedicated Google Play Store support would offer. Still, it’s a lot better than nothing, which makes this Microsoft decision a shame.
It gets worse for the Windows subsystem for Android fans: Starting today (March 6, 2024), Microsoft will no longer let you search for the Amazon Appstore or any of its Android apps in the Microsoft Store. This might make it seem like support has already ended, and in a way it has. Since the Amazon Appstore app is no longer available in the Microsoft Store, you will not be able to download it in the future. If you don’t already have it on your computer, you’re effectively cut off from installing Android apps on your computer.
If you does already have the app installed, you’ll be able to install new Android apps from the Market until that March 5 deadline. However, there will be no new apps going forward, so what you see is what you get. Developers of existing apps can continue to support their apps on the platform, but in March 2025, their access will also be terminated.