Microsoft is killing off the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), marking an end to the brief stint of Android apps on Windows 11.
In an update posted to Microsoft’s ‘Learn’ site, the company said ending support for the WSA means “the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025.”
Windows users who installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps before March 5th, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps until March 5th, 2025.
Meanwhile, Amazon says the Appstore and associated apps won’t be discoverable in the Microsoft Store starting March 6th, 2024 and that developers can’t submit new apps for the Appstore on Windows. However, developers with existing apps can continue to update them until support ends in 2025.
Microsoft told Engadget it was shutting down WSA and the Amazon Appstore on Windows as “part of our commitment to meeting evolving customer needs.” The company also stressed it remains “dedicated to an open platform and ecosystem.”
The company likely added support for Android apps in an effort to compete with Chromebooks (which can run Android apps) and MacBooks (which can run iPhone apps). But with competitors still offering those features, it’s unclear why Microsoft is abandoning the effort roughly two years after adding support for Android apps. Engadget suggests Microsoft’s shift in focus to AI means the company no longer wants to invest resources into Android apps and touch-focused Windows. The Verge thinks it could be because people wanted to use the Google Play Store to get their apps, not Amazon’s inferior Appstore.
Whatever the case, Android apps on Windows will soon be a thing of the past and frankly, I’m not sure how many people will miss the feature.
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