Can't wait to use Android apps on Windows 11? Here is how to get them up and running.

One of the most exciting highlights of Windows 11 during its release was its compatibility with Android applications. The announcement means that you can run Android applications on a Windows PC without using a third-party emulator. But how to run Android applications in Windows 11?

Officially, this feature is currently only available to Windows Insider Program users in the United States, but for everyone else, there is a workaround. Therefore, here is how to sideload and run Android applications in Windows 11 without using the Insider version.

Microsoft has partnered with Amazon to serve as its Android application repository for Windows. However, compared with Google's PlayStore, Amazon's Appstore catalog is severely restricted.

Therefore, even if Android application compatibility makes it into the public version of Windows 11, you will not be able to install all the goodies from the PlayStore. This is where sideloading and Android's open source features come in handy.

Related: What does Windows 11 support for sideloading applications mean?

Sideloading allows you to install Android applications from third-party sources. These sources can be official or unofficial. For security reasons, Android prevents the installation of apps from outside the Google Play store. This is true even if you install the APK package directly from the application developer’s website.

Fortunately, Android includes an optional feature for installing applications from unknown sources. Similarly, using the Windows Subsystem for Android in Windows 11, you can load Android applications from third-party sources.

To successfully sideload the Android app to Windows 11, you need some software components. The list includes the Windows subsystem for Android, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) settings, and of course the APK file of the application you want to install.

We will briefly explain these components later in this guide, so let's get started.

The Windows Subsystem for Android allows your Windows 11 device to run Android apps available in the Amazon AppStore and pass side loading. However, this feature is currently only available through Beta and Dev Channels of the Windows Insider Program in the United States

Since you are not running the preview version, we will use a third-party utility to download and set up the Android environment. The following is how to install the Windows subsystem for Android on the Windows 11 public release.

Wait for the installation to complete. After installation, open "Start" and you should see the Windows Subsystem for Android and other applications. In other words, you must restart your PC to access the Amazon AppStore, which is part of the software package.

You must enable the virtual machine platform in Windows 11 to set up the Windows subsystem for Android. It enables platform support for virtual machines and is required by Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2). WSL2 is an optional Windows 11 feature, you can enable it from the classic Windows feature window.

Enable the virtual machine platform:

Restart your PC to save the changes. After restarting, we will install the minimum ADB settings required to load Android applications in Windows 11.

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command line tool that helps you communicate with compatible devices. Since it supports various commands, you can use it to load and install Android applications through the command prompt. The following is how to install ADB settings for Windows 11.

To sideload an Android application, you need the APK file of the application. You can download clean APKs from third-party sources such as APKMirror. It is a reliable source for downloading secure APKs for sideloading. How this is done.

After the installation is successful, the application will appear in the "Start" menu and search results. You do not need to configure the input device at this time, so please continue to launch the application.

If you don't want to deal with the hassle of installing applications from the command prompt, you can use WSATools. It is a third-party apk installer for the Windows subsystem of Android, with file explorer integration for selecting and sideloading APKs.

To install the APK using WSATools:

Although you can sideload almost all Android applications, you may encounter performance issues with some applications. In addition, applications that need to run Google services (such as Hotstar Disney+) are not yet running.

The impact on system resources depends on the application load. When running graphics-intensive Android games, you may see a lot of CPU and GPU resources working, but nothing is abnormal. Also, don't expect the Windows subsystem to provide a smooth experience for Android. It is still in progress and it may take some time for Microsoft to resolve these errors.

Microsoft claims to have improved on Windows 11. Has the developer experience improved? Let us find out.

Tashreef is the technical writer of MakeUseOf. He has a bachelor's degree in computer applications and has more than 5 years of writing experience, covering all content on Microsoft Windows and its surroundings. When not working, you will find him fiddling with his computer, trying some FPS games or exploring animated shows and movies.

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