How to download Android apps on Windows 11 sub -system for Android

So you've just configured the Windows Subsystem for Android on your Windows 11 computer. You can't wait to run your favorite android apps right on your PC, but there's a catch! Microsoft has partnered with Amazon to bring Amazon Appstore to the Microsoft Store, which means you can't officially access Google Play Store's vast library of apps and games on the native Windows subsystem. To put salt in the wound, not all Amazon Appstore apps are available on Windows 11 right now - the list is limited to 50 currently organized application.

Compatible with Android apps on Windows 11

Fortunately, Microsoft provides the Windows subsystem for the Android environment with a working debugging option. As a result, you can access and debug the Android core layer from the host Windows 11 operating system using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) binary. Because we can use ADB to install Any Android Application Installer Package (APK), it is also possible to sideload applications on Windows for the Android subsystem that are not in the Amazon Appstore.

How to load apps on the Windows Subsystem for Android

Keep in mind that the entire Windows Subsystem for Android is beta quality software.It is possible that applications run by Amazon and Microsoft are highly optimized for the environment However, there are plenty of other Android apps out there that should work just fine out of the box. The only way to test compatibility is to sideload them, and that's where this tutorial comes in handy.

To download an Android app on Windows 11 for the Android subsystem, follow these steps:

1. Download the APK of the required app or game from a trusted source.
   1. If this is a community-developed project, see the corresponding discussion thread on the XDA forums or similar platforms.
   2. Open source app APKs are often found through the GitHub repository or in stores like F-droid too.
   3. Finally, there are third-party APK hosting resources like APK Mirror and APKPure, which are worth looking into.
2. Once you have the APK file, launch the Windows Subsystem for Android Environment.Click on the Start menu, click on the All Apps button and select the shortcut labeled “Windows Subsystem for Android ️™. You can also type “subsystem” in the search box to make it faster.
3. At this point, you should see the Windows for Android subsystem settings screen. Scroll down and turn on the “Developer Mode” toggle.< /li>
4. Because this Android instance runs with the host Windows kernel, we can access it through the localhost interface (127.0.0.1). In fact, the Android layer is also bound to a random IP address from the private network 172.30.0.0/24, which appears below the IP address field.
5. Once the Android layer is up and running, we can connect it using ADB from the Windows 11 host operating system. You can either use localhost (127.0.0.1) with port 58526 or the IP address specified in the Settings window To establish the connection. Since you have configured ADB to use it from anywhere on your computer, open a new Windows terminal window, and type one of the following:

   adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526< /pre>
   Where
   adb connect
   (The IP address is the one you copied in the previous step)

6. Now we can install the required APK file through ADB. It should be like this: Install adb
7. If all goes well, a shortcut to the Android app will be created right in the Windows Start menu Like any normal Windows app.Click on the shortcut to launch the app.
8. That's it!

Note that side-downloaded apps will have network access, which means that You can install and use an Android variant of popular browsers like Firefox in the Windows for Android subsystem and then use it to download apps right away. Windows 11 also allows you to apply firewall rules to Android apps. While it is possible to load an app that relies on Google services, it will crash When trying to turn it on due to the lack of Google services, although you can try to use micro-G as a possible workaround.

What do you think of Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11? Have you ever started using it to play your favorite Android games on your PC? Let us know in the comments section below.