Windows 11 Update 22H2 brings Android apps to Windows (and more)
The Windows 11 Update 22H2 brings, among many other things, the ability to run Android apps from Amazon’s AppStore.
Microsoft has been working on a Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), and Amazon Android AppStore is the first to open the door to Windows. Whether Google Play comes on board is yet to be determined. Initially, there are 50,000+ Apps – most are either limited-time trials or paid.
WSA includes the Linux kernel and the Android OS based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It runs in a Hyper-V Virtual Machine (your PC processor must support this), like the Windows Subsystem for Linux, which understands how to map the runtime and APIs of Android apps in the AOSP environment to the Windows graphic layer, input modes and more. Click here to get it from the Windows Store.
The installation on a new Windows Surface Studio Laptop with Update 22H2 did not complete with the error message.
It seems that CPU Virtualization (Intel Virtualisation Technology or AMD-V) is disabled by default. We also could not get it to work on a Windows on ARM (WOA) PC. We will set up test computers and report on this further in a couple of weeks (mid-November).
Other Windows 11 Update 22H2 features
Windows Blog: Making the everyday easier with new experiences available in Windows 11
Here are a few of the features coming to Windows 11:
- Tabbed File Explorer: Tabs in File Explorer allows users to organise files and pivot between folders. It simplifies everyday tasks and makes collaboration effortless with OneDrive integration.
- Taskbar Enhancements: Two highly requested enhancements coming to the Taskbar will let you view all your overflowed apps in one space and provide easier access directly to Task Manager.
- Suggested Actions: This new feature anticipates your needs and gives suggestions for actions they wish to take, such as automatically highlighting phone numbers to call or future dates to save as events in your calendar.
- Photos app: Coming at the end of October, the Photos app organises your photos from your phone, camera, and OneDrive.
- Additionally, available in November, iCloud integration for Photos app will give you access to all photos on your iPhone with a direct connection to the iCloud photo library.
