Android apps will run natively on Windows 11 — What that means for you

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 may have leaked early but Microsoft had a few surprises in store for us at its "What's next for Windows event." Among those is that Android apps will run natively on Windows 11 and can be downloaded directly from the new Windows Store.

Microsoft has struggled to get developers to create apps for Windows; its App Store lags far behind those on macOS and Chromebook. Instead of continuing its uphill battle to fill the empty spaces in the Windows store, Microsoft is using Amazon's app store to bring Android apps to Windows 11.

These apps will be featured in the new Windows 11 Store which supports more app types than before, including Win32, .NET and PWAs. And because they run natively, you won't need an emulator — a tool that can hamper performance.

Microsoft's Panos Panay said during the keynote that Microsoft is using Intel's "bridge technology" to enable a seamless integration of Android apps into Windows 11. These apps will have their own icons and appear in the Taskbar when pinned or opened.

Windows 11 arrives this holiday on eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new models out of the box.

Windows 11 news and updates

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.