The Windows Subsystem for Android is a platform in Windows 11 that allows you to run Android apps alongside Windows programs on your laptop or desktop. Although you can only install apps from the Amazon Appstore, you can sideload Android apps using the Android Debugging Bridge (ADB) tools. The platform is now in preview mode for devices running the most recent version of Windows 11 and the Microsoft Store app. Furthermore, assistance is now confined to the United States, and access to the Amazon Appstore requires a US-based account. You can also read these interesting articles on: How to link your Android or iPhone to your Windows 10 PC, To unlink your phones see: How to unlink your Android or iPhone from Windows 10.
To run Linux program on your computer see: How to install Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows 11 via the Command line, and Microsoft Store and What is Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
In this guide, you will learn the steps to install Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) on Windows 11.
How to install Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11
You must first determine whether your machine matches all of the criteria.
System prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites for installing Android applications on Windows 11: The Amazon Appstore applications require 8GB of RAM (16GB recommended), a solid-state drive (SSD), and a compatible processor (Intel Core i3 8th Generation, AMD Ryzen 3000, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c, or above), whereas the Microsoft Store app requires version 22110.1402.6.0 or higher.
Check system requirements
Follow these procedures to check the system requirements:
- Go to Settings and choose System.
- On the right side, navigate to the About page and confirm the RAM and CPU requirements under the “Device specifications” section.
- Verify that the build number is equal to or greater than 22000.526 in the “Windows specifications” section.
- In the “Storage” section, choose “Advanced storage settings” and then the Disks & volumes option.
- Verify that the media type is SSD. You won’t be able to install WSA if it says “HDD.”
Once you’ve completed the steps, check for Windows updates and Microsoft Store updates to ensure they’re both up to date.
Install Windows Updates
Follow these instructions to get and install updates on Windows 11:
- Go to Settings and choose Windows Update.
- Select the Check for updates option.
Once you complete the steps, restart the computer if required to finish applying the system updates.
Install Microsoft Store update
For the Amazon Appstore app to be available for download, the computer must also have the Microsoft Store app version 22110.1402.6.0 or above. Follow these procedures to verify the Microsoft Store version and for updates:
- Launch the Microsoft Store app and select Library.
- Select the Get updates option.
- Click the Profile menu and select the App settings option to confirm the version is equal to or higher than 22110.1402.6.0.
After you complete the steps, you can enable the virtualization features on the UEFI firmware and Windows 11.
Enable Virtual Machine Platform
The Windows Subsystem for Android also requires virtualization to be enabled at both the hardware and software levels in order to operate the virtual machine that makes everything work. If you have a computer with recent hardware, this feature may already be activated. Once virtualization is enabled, you can enable the “Virtual Machine Platform” functionality on Windows 11.
To enable the Virtual Machine Platform feature in Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Start the program.
- Search for Turn Windows features on or off and select the first result to open.
- Tick the Virtual Machine Platform option.
- Click the OK button.
- Restart the system for your changes to take effect.
Once you complete the steps, you can install the Windows Subsystem for Android and the Amazon Appstore.
Install Windows Subsystem for Android
There are several methods for installing the Windows Subsystem for Android. You can either install the Amazon Appstore, which automatically installs the WSA, or the “Windows Subsystem for Android with Amazon Appstore” app, which also downloads the Amazon Appstore.
- Open the Microsoft Store app and search for the Amazon Appstore.
- Press the Install button.
- Press the Download button. This should take a few minutes to download depending on your internet speed.
- Finally, click the open Amazon Appstore.
- Sign in with your Amazon account and begin downloading your apps.
This procedure also automatically activates Phone Link, a feature that connects your phone to your PC and lets you to receive notifications, see recent photos, make and answer calls, and send and receive messages all from your PC. Please see this detailed guide on how to link your Android or iPhone to your Windows 10 PC
NOTE: If you do not have an Amazon US account, you will be unable to access the Amazon Appstore. Even if you successfully install Windows Subsystem for Android, you will be unable to install any apps. To run Android applications and games on Windows 11, you must sideload apps.
Installation Windows Subsystem for Android with PowerShell
Alternatively, you can force the installation using PowerShell commands if you have a capable machine.
To install WSA manually with PowerShell, use these steps:
- Open the store.rg-adguard.net.
- Select the Productid option, paste this ID: 9p3395vx91nr, select the Slow option, and click the mark button.
- As you click the mark button, it will show a list of bundles. From here, choose:
- Open the Start menu by pressing the windows key and search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
- Navigate to the download Msixbundle file path as follow:
cd C:\PATH\TO\Msixbundlein the command, update the path with the location where you saved the package file. - Type the following command to install Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 and press Enter:
Add-AppxPackageMicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_2203.40000.3.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle
In the command, update the app package name with the name of the file you have downloaded. Once you complete the steps, the Windows Subsystem for Android and the Amazon Appstore app will install on your computer.
I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.