How to Get Android Apps in Windows 11

This article explains all your options for adding Android apps to Windows 11. It includes three methods, two of which provide an app store much as you see on an Android device.

How to Download Android Apps With Amazon Appstore

It sounds a little confusing at first but In the Microsoft Store is an app called Amazon Appstore that lets you access Amazon's app library in Windows 11.

1. Open the Amazon Appstore download page, and select Get in Store app.

2. Select Open Microsoft Store, if you see that prompt.

3. Choose Install on the download page.

4. Select Download on the prompt about Windows Subsystem for Android. It might take a few minutes to finish downloading.

5. Select Open Amazon Appstore to launch the store.

6. Choose one of these options and then follow the on-screen prompts to access the app store: Already an Amazon customer? Sign in or Create a new Amazon account.

7. Choose an Android app you want to install in Windows 11 and select Get on its download page.

   If the app you want isn't available via Amazon Appstore, the Windows Subsystem for Android (which you installed earlier) can be used to install APK files. There's more on this after these directions.

8. The app will install on your computer. Select Open from its download page to launch the app, or search for it using the Windows search tool.

Use an Emulator to Get Android Apps in Windows 11

Downloading Android apps with an emulator provides greater flexibility than the above technique. This is because emulators let you install apps directly from the Google Play Store or an APK file, which opens up your computer to the full range of apps typically only accessible to Android devices.

Some emulators mimic an entire phone or tablet, so you'll get a home screen with app icons, much like a real Android device.

BlueStacks is a popular option, but there are several other free Android emulators that work in much the same way.

How to Install APK Files in Windows 11

As you read in the previous section, you can install apps via their APK files using an emulator. Another way is to use Windows Subsystem for Android (see above for how to install it) and Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

You might prefer this method if you want your Android apps to look and feel like other Microsoft Store apps. They'll be easily accessible from the Start menu and you'll be able to make desktop and taskbar shortcuts.

There are two ways to do this. The first, and easiest, is with a third-party program called WSATools. It provides a graphical user interface to easily install any APK file. Install that program like you'd install any Microsoft Store app, and then follow these steps:

1. Search Windows for Windows Subsystem for Android, Once it displays, select it.

   See the above directions for installing Windows Subsystem for Android if you don't see it in a search.

2. Open the Developer tab, and select the toggle next to Developer mode to turn it on.

   How to Enable Developer Mode on Android

3. Open WSATools and select Install an APK.

4. Choose the Android app you want to install, and then select Load APK.

5. Choose Install.

6. Select Allow on the Allow ADB debugging? prompt.

   You might also have to select Retry in WSATools after confirming the pompt.

7. You can now open the app from the Windows 11 Start menu, much like you'd launch any app. There's also an Open App button in WSATools, but that's only visible right after the installation.

Sideloading Android Apps on Windows

The other method is to sideload Android apps. This works only after you install ADB, so follow those steps, and then do the following when you're finished:

1. Repeat the first two steps from the WSATools directions above: Open Windows Subsystem for Android (search Windows for it) and go into its Developer tab to toggle on Developer mode.

2. Open Windows PowerShell (it's accessible through Terminal), and enter the below command, replacing the IP address and port number with whatever you see in the developer tab (see the image below for an example).

   adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526
   

   You might get a failed to authenticate message. If so, you should also see a prompt to allow ADB debugging. Press Allow, and then continue with the next step.

3. Enter this to make sure you're actually connected:

   adb devices
   

   Here's what it will look like on the command line:

   The command result should say device after the IP address. If it says unauthorized, then you're not yet connected and you should try these steps again.

4. Copy the path to the APK file you want to install. To do this, find the app wherever you installed it, right-click it, and choose Copy as path.

5. Back in PowerShell, type adb install, followed by a space, and then paste the path (Ctrl+V). Press Enter to execute the command.

   It'll look something like this:

   adb install "C:\Users\jonfi\Downloads\reddit.apk"
   

6. PowerShell will say Performing Streamed Install, and then Success to indicate that the Android app has been installed. Use the Windows search tool to find it.

How to Download Android Apps to Windows 11

There are three ways to install apps and the method you choose might depend on a few things, like the simplicity of the technique and whether the method supports the app you want to install.

• Amazon Appstore is the easiest way. You browse the apps like you would on a phone, and they're easy to locate and update after they're installed. However, Amazon Appstore isn't available worldwide (just a few dozen countries), and not all apps are available through that catalog.
• An Android emulator is good for gaming because most of them include helpful keyboard shortcuts and other phone-like functions. An emulator best copies the look of a real device, so it feels like you're running Android in Windows. Most apps are available this way.
• A manual APK file installation works great for apps you've downloaded from the internet. Maybe it's an obscure app that's no longer available through a normal app store, or it's an older version of the app that you prefer to use.

What Android Apps Can You Get on Windows 11?

Short answer: Pretty much any app you want. However, this depends on the installation method you pick.

There are over 50,000 Android apps available through Amazon Appstore, so all of those are available in Windows 11. However, that catalog is different from the Google Play Store. For this reason, you can't install apps through Amazon Appstore that need Google Mobile Services (GMS), like Gmail, YouTube, etc.

If you want those apps to run in Windows 11, you're better off using the desktop versions. There are desktop-equivalent apps for most things, like an email client to check your Gmail messages. Of course, you can also use the web version at Gmail.com, YouTube.com, etc.

The emulator method, however, does work for GMS-required apps. BlueStacks, for example, includes Google Play Store, meaning you can install any of its millions of apps and games.

Deleting Android Apps in Windows 11

If the app was installed via Amazon Appstore or WSATools, search for the app from the Start menu, and then right-click it to find the Uninstall option. Android apps that came from an emulator need to be uninstalled through the emulation software, which is also usually possible by right-clicking the app, or through the software's app library.