Can Windows 11 run Android apps?

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Windows 11 is finally here, bringing an all-new design and a bunch of feature upgrades. One of those promised feature upgrades was the ability to natively run Android apps on your Windows 11 desktop.

That would stop you from having to pick up your phone every time you get a notification or let you get a little gacha gaming done while you work. Sweet, right? The only limiting factor is that the only Android apps that will be supported to start with are those found in the Amazon Appstore, as that’s what is being added into the Windows Store.

So, can you run Android apps on Windows 11 once you’ve got it installed?

So, can Android apps run on Windows 11?

Short answer: Yes, but not yet.

See, when Microsoft announced Windows 11, it also announced that there would be a way to run native Android apps on your desktop, via Intel Bridge Tech. That capability is still coming, but it wasn’t ready for the release of Windows 11. At this time, we don’t have an actual date we can say that the Android compatibility feature will arrive, just that it’s on the way.

Until then, you can still run Android apps on your Windows 11 computer, in the same ways that you could on a computer running Windows 10. Those are the Your Phone app that Microsoft released last year, and emulators like Bluestacks.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.