What you need to know
- Android apps on Windows 11 have arrived for Insiders in the Release Preview Channel.
- Microsoft's announcement specifies this is for U.S. Insiders.
- Microsoft also recently announced Android app support will be coming via public preview in February.
If you're an Insider in the Dev Channel, then today's scoop is old hat. But for those in the Release Preview ring, good news: Android apps on Windows 11 are here.
Announced on the official Windows blog, as of January 26, 2022, "the preview of Android apps on Windows 11 is now available for Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel in the U.S." Notice that little disclaimer at the end. Anyone outside the U.S. will have to wait for more updates.
That's not all the Android-centric news Microsoft has dropped, either. Android app support is getting a public preview in February. And lest you think this early Christmas' worth of Android news is over, it gets better: The age-old question of "when will Surface Duo get Android 11" has also been answered, since Microsoft recently released that update.
In other words, if you're excited about Microsoft giving Android-related content its time in the sun, now's the time to break out the tanning lounger.
All this news comes hot off the tail of Microsoft's better-than-anticipated FY22 Q2 earnings report. Though, given that most of their recent quarters have been better than anticipated, it's hard to say whether they're not anticipating outdoing their own expectations. Most areas of Microsoft's business endeavors are thriving, including the proliferation of Windows. Did you know that over 1.4 billion devices now have either Windows 11 or Windows 10 on them? Or that Windows 11's product satisfaction ratings are the highest of any version of Windows? It's a good time for Microsoft.
