How to set up Windows Subsystem for Android
The days of installing an emulator on your PC to play Android games are gone, at least for now. Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 11, ships with Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). WSA is a first-party application that lets you install Android apps onto your PC as easily as if it werea new Chromebook— unless you live in the wrong country. However, a clever way to install Android apps on any Windows 11 PC exists, and we show you how in the guide below.
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Microsoft announced that it will end support for WSA in March 2025, so be aware that this guide has a shelf life.
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Installing Android apps on Windows 11
You can install the Windows Subsystem for Android Windows app using the program’s installer package from Microsoft or by signing up for the Beta or Developer builds in the Windows Insider Program. This guide focuses on the former method.
Installing the Windows Subsystem for Android
To install WSA, use the Microsoft Store Generation Project website. It retrieves packages from the Microsoft server, the same server that Microsoft Store uses to install apps on your Windows PC. Hence, it’s safe to use.
If the Windows Subsystem for Android doesn’t open and mentions something about a virtual machine, you must go into the BIOS or UEFI on your computer and turn on the virtual machine setting for the CPU if it’s turned off. The instructions are slightly different for Intel or AMD-based systems. You might also need to install the Virtual Machine Platform feature in Windows 11, which involves downloading an update and restarting your computer. Microsoft has an excellentofficial support page that shows how to do this.
It can be tricky, but these steps might just work for you
Alternatively, Winget can pull the WSA installer package from the Microsoft Store database. All you do is open the command prompt or the terminal, type the following command, and pressEnter:
If you plan to install loads of apps, back up Windows.Backing up and restoring Windows 10 and 11 installsis easy and doesn’t require much effort.
Installing an app store: Aurora Store
Now that you’re done installing WSA, you may think the next step is to install the Google Play Store and Play Services for an Android experience. However, it isn’t that simple. When WSA was announced, people looked for ways to install Google Play Store. A helpful script was discovered, allowing anyone to install the Google Play Store and other Google Services. These scripts were from bad actors, but that wasn’t known until later. They injected users with malware and other problems, as reported byBleepingComputer.
If you’re still keen on installing the Google Play Store with Google services,WSAGAScriptis an open source project that lets you do just that. Getting the Google Play Store running via the script could be time-consuming as it requires installing WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Plus, you’ll need to know some basics for troubleshooting the terminal/command prompt part of the setup. Another drawback is that you must repeat the steps when a new WSA update is available.
There are many safeGoogle Play Store alternatives, and one of our favorites is the Aurora Store. As WSA allows sideloading, installing any third-party store and other apps is simple. If you want to avoid sideloading an APK, WSA Sideloader is the perfect solution. All you do is install and open it, download and browse the location of an APK file, and clickInstall. If that doesn’t work, here’s how to manually install an APK on Windows Subsystem for Android:
Now that Aurora Store is installed and ready to go, the next step is to open it, set it up, and install your favorite apps. Installing apps from the Aurora Store is similar to installing them from the Google Play Store.
Escape the Google comfort zone with these open source gems
Setting up Aurora Store
Here’s how to set up the Aurora Store app.
Like many Google Play Store alternatives, Aurora Store has shortcomings. One of them is app availability. You can counter it by manually installing APKs fromAPK Mirrorusing theadb installcommand.
Installing WSA by enrolling in Windows Insiders
The other method involves signing up for the Windows Insider Program. Installing the Beta or Developer versions allows you to try out upcoming features at the expense of overall system stability. Regardless, it is an option if you don’t want to rely on third-party tools. All you do is sign up for the Beta in the Windows Insider Program, change your region to the US, and search for and download theAmazon Appstorefrom the Windows Store.
Beta and Developer builds could be unstable and are typically not recommended for daily use. When you receive an insider build, you can’t go back to a stable version unless you clean-install Windows.
Windows Subsystem for Android is still limited
As ofversion 2211.40000.11.0, Microsoft upped the Android version to Android 13. WSA is mostly in its development and testing phases, and that’s where it will stay since Microsoft is ending its support for WSA. Until that happens, the methods outlined in this guide are your best bet for trying out WSA before it disappears.
WSA is an excellent tool for developers and enthusiasts who want to run Android apps on a Windows computer. However, the average user may want to stick with the official method — the Amazon Appstore. It lacks some of thebest Android apps, but it’s easier to manage if you prefer to keep things simple.
Get more done with the command line
If you’re comfortable using the Windows command line interface, check out the ingenious ways touse the Windows Command prompt. You might find something useful, like removing a stubborn program that won’t uninstall or reading a simple text document.
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