Microsoft has officially announced that it’s ending support for Android apps on Windows 11, but you don’t have to be deterred by that. If you have been using the official method and installing Android apps from the Amazon app store, you can continue to do so till March 5, 2025. You can also, however, prepare yourself for the future and switch to an Android emulator right away. There are lots of good Android emulators for Windows 11 now and you can use any of these to run Android apps on your PC. These days, Android emulators are far more resource-efficient than they used to be and most of these emulators should run well even on relatively low-end PCs.
Bluestacks
Bluestacks by now.gg has been around for a long time, and has improved a lot over the years. This emulator lets you download and install apps from Google Play, which is a big plus, and many of its best features are gaming-focused. So if you want to play your favorite Android games with a keyboard and a mouse, Bluestacks is a good choice—it lets you create macros and scripts to map your favorite actions to keyboard shortcuts, which saves you time while gaming.
Also, it lets you quickly change your device profile to run apps exclusive to certain devices. Some games, such as PUBG Mobile, are best run in the developer’s own emulators, but most other apps and games work well with Bluestacks.
Bliss OS
In case you don’t want to install an Android emulator on your PC, you can try Bliss OS—it has an option that lets you boot it off a pen drive. You’re also free to install and use it on your PC if you wish. The freedom of installation options and stability are highlights of this emulator.
GameLoop
Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, owns GameLoop, and as its name suggests, its focus is on game play. Because Tencent published PUBG Mobile and a host of other mobile games, the focus of GameLoop is to give you the best possible experience while playing those games. It features an anti-cheat system, too, which is good if you are looking to avoid hackers in your games.
NoxPlayer
NoxPlayer is also targeted largely at people who want to game, and if you are having issues with Bluestacks or GameLoop, give NoxPlayer a shot. It has the features you need for gaming—support for keyboard and mouse, recording macros, and the ability to run multiple games at once.
You can try Windows 11’s way of running Android apps (while it lasts)
If emulators aren’t cutting it for you, then you can try the official Windows method to install Android apps until it works. Be aware that this method will stop working after March 5, 2025, so enjoy it while it lasts. For this, you’ll have to install Windows Subsystem For Android from the Windows Store. Once that’s done, you can follow our guide to installing Android Device Bridge (ADB) on your Windows 11 PC. When that’s done, you should install MicroG, an open-source app that lets you run Android apps that require Google Play Services. With those prerequisites out of the way, let’s get those apps sideloaded. It may look complicated at first glance, but it’s pretty quick to pull off once you know the process.
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To start, open the Windows Subsystem for Android from the Windows 11 Start menu under the All Apps section.
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In the Windows Subsystem for Android setting window, find and turn on Developer Mode.
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Open the Files window at the top of the settings menu to open Android on your PC.
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Back in the settings menu, scroll down and click Refresh next to the IP Address option (it’s right beneath the Developer mode toggle). Once the IP Address appears, click Copy.
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Next, open Windows Terminal as an admin. Go to Start Menu > All Apps. Hover your mouse cursor over Windows Terminal then select More > Run as administrator.
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In the Windows Terminal window, type the command
adb connect (IP address)using the IP address from steps 4 and 5. It should look likeadb connect 1234.5.6.7 -
Press Enter to run the command. If everything worked, you should see connected to [IP address]. We can now sideload APK files saved on your computer to run on Windows Subsystem for Android.
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Back in the Windows Terminal window, type the command
adb installfollowed by the folder pathway and filename in quotation marks. For example, the full command may look likeadb install C:\com.whatsapp_2.21.21.15-212115005_minAPI16(x86_64)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com -
If everything is correct, you’ll see Performing Streamed Install in Windows Terminal once the installation is started, and Success once it’s complete.
And that’s it. The app is now installed on your PC. Like other Android apps, you can run sideloaded apps from the Windows 11 Start Menu. They will be listed under “all apps.” Double-click to run the app and it will open in its own app window.
