With the new version of Windows, you will experience a host of new features and settings. From the updated and productivity-focused Taskbar to the new widget integration. Now, after months of teasing, Windows 11 users will be able to run Android apps on their laptops. And well, isn’t that great?
With it, you can easily open and run apps like Instagram, YouTube and Amazon Kindle from the comfort of your Windows laptop. Not only does it help you save time, but it also helps you distract yourself from other apps on your phone.
The good thing is, you no longer need third-party emulators to run Android apps with native support. Microsoft has partnered with Amazon and Intel for this integration.
So, if you want to run Android apps on your Windows 11 laptop, here’s how to do it.
What Do You Need to Run Android Apps?
Now your Windows 11 PC must meet certain requirements before you can install and run Android apps.
one. Windows Version: You must sign up for Windows Insider and have Windows 11 Insider Beta on your computer.
To do this, go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program to link your account.
2nd. virtualization: Virtualization must be enabled on your PC. For those unaware, this feature is a critical hardware-based functionality required to run certain functions such as Android apps, Windows sandbox, among others.
Follow the steps below to see the status of Virtualization on your computer.
Stage 1: Search for Task Manager in the start menu. Open the task manager and click the Performance tab.
Step 2: Now, check the lower right corner as shown in the screenshot below.
If it says active, it’s good to go. If not, you need to enable it. However, enabling virtualization differs from computer to computer. The best way forward is to check the online manuals for your laptop/processor.
3. Amazon Account: Finally, your computer must have the latest version of Microsoft Store. Second, you need a US-based Amazon account.
Here’s how to install and run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC.
How to Run Android Apps on Windows 11
Stage 1: On your computer, open Settings, select Time & language in the left pane, then Language & region.
Step 2: Under the Region section, select Country or region and select United States from the drop-down menu.
Stage 3: Open the start menu and type window features to call them. Search will highlight ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ and click on it.
Step 4: When a window opens, wait for it to populate the Windows features on your PC. Uncheck the box next to ‘Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform’ and click OK.
Close the window and restart your computer.
step 5: After your PC boots, download and install the Windows Subsystem.
The Windows Subsystem enables your computer to run Android apps, and this is a mandatory step. The installation process is simple and the system will guide you through the process.
Next, download and install the Amazon App Store. Restart your PC when complete.
Now, sign in to the Amazon App Store with your Amazon US credentials.
After logging in, you will have access to all Android apps available on Amazon’s App Store. You can then download, install and run the apps one by one.
Since you’ll be in the Amazon App Store, you’ll have access to Amazon apps like Kindle and standard Android apps like YouTube and Instagram. You can also explore some casual game apps.
And the game doesn’t end there. Besides installing games and apps from the official Amazon store, you can also install apk files on your Windows 11 PC. However, we recommend proceeding only if you trust the source of the APK files.
Organize Applications Systematically
Compared to previous versions, Windows 11 is more focused and productive. The new smart design lets you find your favorite apps with one click. You can also pin your favorite app, including Android apps, to the Start menu.
So, if you like to read e-books in your spare time, you can install the Kindle app and then pin it to the Start menu.
To do this, open the Start menu, click All Apps and right-click the app you want. Select Pin to start.
After that, drag it to the row/column of your choice.
You can also right-click the default pinned apps and select Pin from Start to uninstall them.
best of both worlds
Since this is a new feature, there are not many compatible apps at the moment. Hopefully, in the next few months the speed will increase and we will have more Android apps to stick around.
