The End of a Very Short Era: Microsoft to Discontinue Windows Subsystem for Android
Posted by: Corporal Punishment on 03/12/2024 04:42 PM
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Microsoft recently announced the decision to discontinue the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 by March 5, 2025. This decision marks a surprising shift that will affect developers and users who have come to rely on Android apps on their Windows devices.
The Windows Subsystem for Android was first introduced to Windows Insiders on October 20, 2021. It has been a super nice feature for integrating Android applications seamlessly into the Windows environment, offering users unique usability for Android apps on a PC. Frankly, it is one of the only real reasons some people upgraded from 10 to 11.
We have used the Windows Subsystem for Android for some time now for all sorts of Android apps, including Games and Threads.
According to Andrew Clinick, who worked on the project, the reason for the closer was the lack of apps available and the lack of monetary value for Microsoft. Clearly, MSFT looked at WSA differently from the users. Which, IMHO, is a total cop-out by Microsoft. They made 157 Billion profit last year, and they can't spare a few bucks for a cool OS feature that isn't jamming CoPilot down our throats...??? Yeesh. Maybe the coders for the subsystem should have thrown AI at the end of the application name, and they would have gotten a budget.
What does this mean for Android apps on Windows? It means returning to popular emulator options like BlueStacks, NoxPlayer, MEMU, and LDPlayer. These programs create a virtual Android environment, enabling users to install and run Android apps on their Windows PCs. They are slower than Windows Subsystem for Android and non-integrated - but they work very well. Each emulator offers unique features and may perform better with different applications or games. So try each and see what works best for you.
Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android™️ (WSA). As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.
Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025. Please reach out to our support team at support.microsoft.com with further questions. We are grateful for the support of our developer community and remain committed to listening to feedback as we evolve experiences.
Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025. Please reach out to our support team at support.microsoft.com with further questions. We are grateful for the support of our developer community and remain committed to listening to feedback as we evolve experiences.
The Windows Subsystem for Android was first introduced to Windows Insiders on October 20, 2021. It has been a super nice feature for integrating Android applications seamlessly into the Windows environment, offering users unique usability for Android apps on a PC. Frankly, it is one of the only real reasons some people upgraded from 10 to 11.
We have used the Windows Subsystem for Android for some time now for all sorts of Android apps, including Games and Threads.
According to Andrew Clinick, who worked on the project, the reason for the closer was the lack of apps available and the lack of monetary value for Microsoft. Clearly, MSFT looked at WSA differently from the users. Which, IMHO, is a total cop-out by Microsoft. They made 157 Billion profit last year, and they can't spare a few bucks for a cool OS feature that isn't jamming CoPilot down our throats...??? Yeesh. Maybe the coders for the subsystem should have thrown AI at the end of the application name, and they would have gotten a budget.
Adieu #wsa Was an amazing project to work on but doesn't matter how cool the tech is if you don't have apps in the store.
— Andrew Clinick (@andrewclinick) March 5, 2024
What does this mean for Android apps on Windows? It means returning to popular emulator options like BlueStacks, NoxPlayer, MEMU, and LDPlayer. These programs create a virtual Android environment, enabling users to install and run Android apps on their Windows PCs. They are slower than Windows Subsystem for Android and non-integrated - but they work very well. Each emulator offers unique features and may perform better with different applications or games. So try each and see what works best for you.
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