Microsoft is ending support for Android apps on Windows

Microsoft is pulling the plug on Android apps for Windows. The company said it is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), the core component behind the Amazon Appstore (and other Android apps) in Windows 11. Microsoft told Engadget that it was responding to “evolving customer needs.”

Microsoft first said in 2021 that Windows 11 would be able to run Android apps. When it arrived the following year, users could install the Amazon Appstore, and some individual Android apps were found in the Microsoft Store. The rollout is seen as a response to the twin threats of Android apps on Chromebooks and iOS apps on Apple Silicon Macs.

A Microsoft spokesperson explained to Engadget why it is now ending the feature. “As part of our commitment to meet the changing needs of customers, we periodically update our product offerings,” they said. “This includes the introduction of new technical innovations and product withdrawals. Microsoft remains dedicated to an open platform and ecosystem, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the best experiences and applications on Windows.”

With Microsoft’s full tilt in all things AI blazing, it may now see its previous attempts to make Windows a dramatically better touch-focused platform no longer worth the resources. Another possibility, as On the edge speculatesis that people looking for Android apps on Windows expect the full Google Play Store experience — not Amazon’s version, which has a worse overall selection.

Microsoft says customers who installed the Amazon Appstore (or other apps and games using WSA) on their Windows 11 machines before Tuesday can continue using them until March 5, 2025. Meanwhile, Amazon clarified that its Appstore and related apps will no longer be discoverable in the Microsoft Store starting Wednesday. Additionally, developers can no longer submit new apps for the Amazon Appstore on Windows, but those with existing ones can continue to submit updates for them until this time next year.

As for what’s next for Microsoft, the company is rumored to launch new Surface devices on March 21. The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are expected, with the company likely to market them as its first AI computers.