We tried the Android apps on Windows 11 22H2 and didn’t like them

Windows 11 22H2 it has been a reality for not even a couple of days, and it is already possible force the update, in case you don’t want to wait for Windows Update times. Among the main innovations, we have the expansion in Italy of Windows subsystem for Android, that is, support for running Android applications natively on Windows 11. But do they work? And what are they for?

First, we repeat, you must have updated your system to the Windows 11 2022 Update. At that point, open the Microsoft Store and look for “Amazon Appstore“You will see that it will be possible to install it for free, and this is how you will open the doors to Android apps on Windows 11.

For install an Android app on Windows it is therefore sufficient to open the Amazon store, search for the one you want, (or be inspired by the proposals on the homepage), and install it. You will find it together with all the other Windows apps in the Start menu, just like an application developed for the Microsoft system (and as such a right click is enough to uninstall it), and this already greatly simplifies their use. It is not possible to install APK directlyat least not officially, but luckily a few simple steps are enough to do it (we’ll talk about it later).

Before going ahead, it is necessary to clarify, for the uninitiated, that Microsoft has made support for Android apps available not with a partnership with Google, but with Amazon. The store from which to download them is therefore that of Amazon, and all Google apps are therefore absent. And not just them! Many third-party Android apps rely on Google services to work, so don’t expect to easily find noble names like TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, because they are all absent. And this brings us to the first problem.

Amazon’s Appstore on Windows 11 counts approx 20,000 applicationson the Play Store the order of magnitude is millions. This difference already makes you understand that we have a limited number of apps and games available. Moreover, since there is no support for Google services, many applications are absent regardless, and even if installed via apk (we’ll get there soon) they will not work.

Furthermore, it must be considered that the Microsoft Store it’s not like it’s deserted. The main social network they are all there, as well as the services of streamingand many too games exquisitely mobile are present (Alto’s Adventure, Asphalt, Monument Valley etc.). So what do you need Android apps for?

We can find some use cases at the bottom. For example we tried Too Good to Go And TV Timewhich are not present in the Microsoft Store, but to do so we had to use apks.

Installing Android apps via APK on Windows 11 is not difficult, Luckily. Aside from enabling developer options and then USB debugging from the Android subsystem settings, you’ll have to download WSA-pacmana free utility that is in fact a package managerthat is it is associated to the APK files and if you were to click one it will automatically start the installation through adb (I repeat: the user does not have to do anything, there is a practical interface that also creates the app icon on the desktop).

You must then get the APKs of the apps you need, and to do so we suggest you read our dedicated guide. And then? And then you have to hope that the app in question does not need Google servicesor as we have already said it will not work, or that it does not require third party services in any case because it is not said that you can get them.

Returning to the example above, Too Good To Go starts, but fails we were able to do them detect our position (although location services are enabled on Windows and the permission has been granted to the Android subsystem), making it virtually useless. TV Time instead it worked correctly, even if during the login phase we had some problems with Facebook, solved by switching to another authentication service.

Ultimately the experience with Android apps on Windows turned out to be more of a geek / developer thing rather than a function mainstreamdue to all the limitations we have just described. And there is nothing wrong with thatmind you.

The point is that the apps available on the Amazon Appstore do not seem capable of affecting the daily use experience of Microsoft’s operating system, either because of their paucity (understood both in a qualitative and quantitative sense), and for the richness of the Microsoft Store, which by now has already equipped itself with all the most popular applications.

What remains is room for enthusiasts, who will now have an official and straightforward system to bring Android applications to PC, with excellent performance Moreover. Yes, because we have not reiterated this at the bottom, but before closing it deserves to do it: the Android apps run well (we tested them with the 11th generation i5 and 8 GB of RAM), they resize correctly (this does not mean that they are always “beautiful” to look at, also because they are designed for vertical screens, and if put full screen on a laptop they clearly don’t look their best), and the interaction with mouse and keyboard works (even if a touch screen always helps). The problems are the ones we have discussed so far, and that it is useless to reiterate now, but if your experience were to differ, you can always let us know in the space of comments.