What you need to know
- A new Microsoft document provides guidance for developers that want to use the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11.
- Microsoft could soon begin testing Android app support on Windows 11 with Windows Insiders.
- The guide explains how to set up a developer environment and how to submit apps to the Amazon Appstore.
Update, October 20, 2021 (11:28 AM ET): Microsoft rolled out the first preview of Android app support on Windows 11 to Windows Insiders. The original story follows.
Microsoft recently published a document that helps developers bring Android apps to Windows 11. The document focuses on setting up the Windows Subsystem for Android to test and optimize Android apps on Windows 11.
Microsoft explains how to set up a developer environment and how to install the Amazon Appstore. It also includes advice, such as what to look out for when updating an Android app for Windows with respect to window management and resizing.
The guide breaks down how to:
- Set up your development environment, including prerequisites, installing the Amazon Appstore, and using the Settings app.
- Handle input compatibility considerations for Windows devices, such as: keyboard input, mouse input, and window management and resizing.
- Test and debug your app on a Windows 11 device.
- Submit apps to the Amazon Appstore: Your app must be available in the Amazon Appstore to run on Windows 11 devices.
Android support did not launch with the initial release of Windows 11, but Microsoft stated that the feature would come to Windows Insiders for testing. That could happen soon, as the document refers to Android support for Windows 11 Insider builds in the present tense, "Windows Subsystem for Android is currently only available through preview in the Windows Insiders Program."
Near the end of the Microsoft doc, it explains that only a small number of Amazon Appstore apps work on Windows 11 at the moment, "In order to be available on a Windows 11 device, an Android app must be published to the Amazon Appstore. Currently, only a small set of apps selected by Microsoft and Amazon are available." Microsoft has not detailed its plans regarding which apps in the Amazon Appstore will be available on Windows 11 once support fully rolls out.
