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In 2020, the move from an Intel processor to an Apple processor resulted in incredible improvements in performance per watt for Mac. It also allowed iPhone and iPad apps to run on macOS for the first time. A year later, Microsoft and Amazon teamed up to bring some Android apps to Windows using a similar approach.
The difference? Apple was rewarding developers and users with the culmination of its proprietary technology to expand the app catalog on the Mac. Microsoft on the other hand, well, no one knows exactly what they were trying to achieve.
That's because Microsoft seems to have hidden some pretty important news in supporting document. Long story short, Microsoft announced today that it will stop supporting Android apps on Windows 11 tomorrow *checks notes*.
Windows users have the rest of the day to install Android apps from the Amazon Appstore, a limited alternative marketplace to the Google Play Store. Starting tomorrow, Amazon Appstore will no longer be available on Windows.
What happens if Android apps are already installed on Windows? Mark your calendars! Microsoft promises final year of support. Effective March 5, 2025, support will end:
Microsoft is no longer supporting the Windows Subsystem for Android™️ (WSA). As a result, Amazon Appstore for Windows and all apps and games that depend on WSA will no longer be supported on March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.
Customers who installed Amazon Appstore or Android apps before March 5, 2024 will continue to have access to those apps until the end of support date of March 5, 2025. If you have any additional questions, please contact our support team at support.microsoft.com. We're grateful for the support of our developer community and remain committed to listening to feedback as our experience evolves.
A little shout out to a feature that Microsoft says “signals new opportunities for developers and developers.” creators on Windows.” Apple certainly has problems with the App Store on the Mac, but this particular case is a clear example of the benefits of Apple owning the entire stack.
Learn more
- Windows 11 brings Apple's “iPhone as a webcam” feature to Android
- Parallels Desktop can now run Windows 11 for Arm on M3 Macs
- iCloud for Windows updated, Apple Music and Apple TV exit preview, iTunes remains
- How to use an Apple keyboard with a Mac and Windows computer at the same time
