Microsoft has finally opened access to be able to run Android applications on Windows 11, which can already be tested by beta testers who are members of the Windows Insider Program.
The official name of the feature is Windows Subsystem for Android, where beta testers who use devices with Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm processors can already run Android applications on Windows 11.
Access to the Android application can actually be accessed at the Microsoft Store, but when it is installed the user will be directed to the Amazon App Store. Although running through virtualization, this Android application can be run simultaneously with other Windows applications, even users can use Alt + Tab to switch between applications.
"Notifications from this Android app can be viewed in Action Center and can also be shared clipboard between Windows and Android apps. We built the user experience with accessibility first, many Windows accessibility settings can be used in Android apps and we're working with Amazon to continuously improve," wrote the Android on Windows 11 team in the caption.
So far there are only 50 applications available from this collaboration between Microsoft and Amazon. A very small number indeed, considering that the Amazon Appstore currently has 600 thousand applications, and the Google Play Store has 3 million applications.
The applications that have been available so far include Lords Mobile, June's Journey, and Coin Master. Then there are apps like Kindle, and kids apps like Lego Duplo World and Khan Academy Kids.
Currently only Windows 11 with the US region can use this feature. Users must also have a US-based Amazon account to access the Amazon App Store.
It is not yet known how many Android applications will be available when the feature is widely opened by Microsoft.
The way this feature works is by using the subsystem that Microsoft built in Windows 11, which supports Android apps. This subsystem includes the Linux kernel and Android OS based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) version 11.
"The subsystem runs on the Hyper-V Virtual Machine, much like the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This system understands how to map runtimes and APIs from applications in an AOSP environment to the Windows graphics layer, buffer memory, input modes, physical and virtual devices, and sensors," added the team in his statement.
