How to sideload unsupported Android apps in Windows 11

Access Android’s power with just a few steps.

- RYAN WHITWAM

Microsoft spent years trying to make its own mobile operating system work, but that’s in the past, and now it’s gone all in with Android. Microsoft makes Android-powered Surface phones and helps you connect Android devices to Windows, and you can even install Android apps in Windows 11 (fave.co/3yUjpKG). However, the partnership with Amazon’s Appstore provides access to only a handful of useful Android apps. If you want more Android power in Windows 11, you can “sideload” other apps in just a few steps.

GETTING SET UP

Before you develop any fanciful ideas about running every Android app under the sun,you should check your system specs. The Windows Subsystem for Android requires at least 8GB of RAM, but 16GB is recommended. Your PC also needs a relatively modern processor in the form of an 8th-gen Intel Core i3, AMD Ryzen 3000, Snapdragon 8c, or newer. On the storage front, Windows 11 needs to be installed on an SSD (fave.co/2Z26gQg) rather than a spinning hard drive.

Even if you don’t want to use Amazon as your app provider, you’ll have to grab that from the Windows Store (1; fave.co/ 3dEZdnX) to get the prompt to enable the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). The PC will reboot after installing the WSA, but you’re not done yet.