Microsoft is no longer offering Android apps for Windows. The company announced it is ending support for Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), the underlying component of the Amazon Appstore (and other Android apps) in Windows 11. Microsoft told Engadget that it is responding to “evolving customer needs.”
Microsoft announced for the first time that he will be able to run Android apps on Windows 11 in 2021. When it was released the following year, users were able to install his Amazon app store, and several individual his Android apps could now be found in the Microsoft Store. This release appears to be a response to the dual threat of Android apps on Chromebooks and iOS apps on Apple Silicon Macs.
A Microsoft spokesperson explained, why the feature is being discontinued. “As part of our commitment to meeting evolving customer needs, we periodically update our product offerings,” they said. “This involves introducing new technical innovations and retiring products. Microsoft remains dedicated to an open platform and ecosystem, and we look forward to continuing to bring the best experiences and apps to Windows.”
Microsoft may decide that it is no longer worth investing the resources to turn its previous attempts at making Windows a significantly better touch-focused platform, given that it is going headfirst into all things AI. The Verge proposes that another scenario is that consumers looking for Android apps on Windows anticipated the complete Google Play Store experience instead of Amazon’s version, which offers a smaller total variety.
Microsoft says customers who installed the Amazon Appstore (or other apps or games with WSA) on their Windows 11 machines by Tuesday can continue to use it until March 5, 2025. Meanwhile, Amazon announced that its Appstore and related apps will no longer be found in the Microsoft Store starting Wednesday. Additionally, developers will no longer be able to submit new apps to their Amazon Appstore on Windows, but developers with existing apps will be able to continue submitting updates until this time next year.
Regarding the future of Microsoft, there are rumors that the company will launch a new Surface device on his March 21st. Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, which the company may sell as its first AI PC, are expected.
