Windows might be a desktop operating system, but interest in running mobile apps on your PC or laptop has existed ever since smartphones took off.
Emulation software such as BlueStacks made that possible soon after, but it wasn’t natively supported by Microsoft until the introduction of Windows 11. These can now be fully integrated into the operating system and make use of multitasking features.
However, don’t expect every app from your Android phone to be available. The Windows 11 feature relies on the Amazon Appstore, which has around a tenth of all the apps you’ll find on Google’s Play Store.
While that results in some notable omissions, many of the leading social platforms are supported. And it’s currently the only way to use Threads on Windows 11, with owners Meta yet to introduce a desktop version.
Using Android apps on Windows 11 is straightforward, but only once you’ve set it up for the first time.
How to install Android apps on Windows 11
It takes a few minutes to get Windows 11 ready for Android apps, but you’ll only have to do this once.
Enable virtualization (if it’s not already)
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In the search bar next to the Start menu, type ‘Turn windows features on or off’ and open the relevant result in the Control Panel.
Make sure the box next to ‘Virtual Machine Platform’ is ticked, then click ‘OK’ to confirm. If you’ve made any changes, restart your device to apply them.
Download the Amazon Appstore and Windows Subsystem for Android
Open the Microsoft Store and search for ‘amazon appstore’. Click ‘Install’ next to the relevant result, then ‘Download’ from the pop-up that appears.
Click ‘Yes’ to confirm you allow changes to be made, then wait for the download to be completed. It’s a large file, so may take a few minutes.
Once it’s finished, click the button marked ‘Open Amazon Appstore’. Choose whether you’d like Windows Subsystem for Android to access your camera (it’s not required), then the Amazon Appstore will open in the taskbar.
Sign into your Amazon account
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You can create an Amazon account if you don’t have one already here, but it’s easiest to sign in to an existing one.
Click the ‘Already a customer? Sign In’ button, then enter your details like you would on the Amazon website or app.
Find and install any app you’d like to download
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
You’ll now be presented with a homepage that looks very similar to the Microsoft Store. Browse through all the apps available, or search for something specific.
Click ‘Install’ or ‘Get’ next to any app you’d like to install, then ‘Open’ once it’s installed. It’s now fully compatible with the rest of Windows 11, and searchable like any other app.
Can you download Google Play Store apps on Windows 11?
Unfortunately not. Microsoft has never officially supported installing apps from the Play Store, but a workaround allowed you to do just that for a few months.
But this was a complicated process, and it hasn’t worked since January 2023. As an alternative is yet to emerge, you’ll have to stick with the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 for now.
For access to nearly every Android app from your laptop, a Chromebook is your best bet. As Google software, Chrome OS does support the Play Store natively.