The arrival of Windows 11 on the market was welcomed with open arms by the Android community due to its native compatibility with apps from this operating system. The Android subsystem still works in the same way as the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), although it has its peculiarities until the integration between the two operating systems is complete.
The compatibility of Windows 11 with Android still has a long way to go, as native support is not expected in Windows 11 for another year, although there are currently supported methods to run applications from the Google operating system on Microsoft‘s. . There are other unofficial alternatives (Bluestack, WSATools , ADB, WSA PacMan …), but they can put your system at risk, so we are going to stick to what Windows has approved.
Android on Windows 11
The first thing to note is that this Android virtualization requires certain prerequisites at the team level:
- Processor : Intel Core i3 Gen 8, AMD Ryzen 3000, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c (or better).
- Screen: 720p or higher.
- Supported architectures : x64 or ARM64.
- RAM : between 8 GB (minimum) and 16 GB (recommended).
- Storage : A Solid State Drive (SSD).
Installation via Amazon Appstore
Windows 11 users in the United States can now access the Amazon Appstore Preview through the Microsoft Store. Until a few weeks ago, this restriction was not only territorial, but you had to be enrolled in the Windows 11 beta program (Windows Insider program) to test features like this before its release.
Indeed, the first thing you should do is set up Windows 11 as if you were in the United States and search for Amazon Appstore Preview in the Microsoft Store or download it by hand from its link and install the software.
In addition to getting access to the Amazon store, you’ll also install Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) , the behind-the-scenes engine (powered by Intel Bridge technology) that enables all sorts of Android apps to run on Windows 11. relatively fluid way.
Using the Amazon Appstore also allows Microsoft to use versions of the apps that aren’t tied to Google services. Likewise, you will only be able to access a certain number of applications available in the Amazon Appstore and not the bulk of the Google Play Store.
Mobile Link App
In case you have Windows 11 but you are not in the United States or simply do not have the option to install the Amazon Appstore, you can manage to run Android applications through your own native Android device via mirroring. For this we will use the Mobile Link application (previously, Your Phone) .
mobile link app
It is a Microsoft application that allows you to manage the notifications of an Android smartphone on the PC screen, and interact to see its content and the mouse pointer emulates touch on the screen.
After linking both devices by logging into your Windows account and reading a QR code, you will see that a screen appears in the application that will show all the applications installed on your smartphone (or Android tablet). By choosing one, you can control it from your Windows 11 PC. In addition to having access to your apps, Mobile Link allows you to access your photos and contacts, as well as make and receive calls on your PC.