Gone are the days when you needed an emulator to run Android apps on Windows. The latest Windows release, Windows 11, ships with Windows Subsystem for Android, which allows you to install Android apps on your PC easily. Unlike some of the best Chromebooks that come with the Google Play Store preinstalled, installing Android apps using Windows Subsystem for Android isn't that easy if you live in an unsupported region. However, a clever way to install Android apps on any Windows 11 PC exists, and we show you how in the guide below.

Windows Subsystem for Android works like Windows Subsystem for Linux, which Microsoft introduced in 2016. Both WSL and WSA use virtualization to install and run apps.

Microsoft is expanding WSA support, and these are the regions where it's available. If you're from one of them, you can install Android apps directly from the Amazon Appstore.

Installing Android apps on Windows 11

You can install the Windows Subsystem for Android Windows app using an installer package of the program from Microsoft or by signing up for the Beta or Developer builds in the Windows Insider Program. This guide focuses on the former method.

Downloading the Windows subsystem app from the Microsoft Store

Installing the Windows Subsystem for Android

To install WSA, we 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.

  1. Head to store.rg-adguard.net.
  2. Copy the following link and paste it into the URL box: www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-subsystem-for-android/9p3395vx91nr
    The main page for downloading files directly from the Microsoft Store server
  3. Click the drop-down arrow to the right and select Slow.
    An example of how to download the Windows Subsystem app from the official link generator for the Microsoft Store server
  4. Click the checkmark to search for files.
  5. Scroll down and click the largest MSIX bundle to start the download. As of this writing, 2304.40000.7.0 is the latest version and is 1.35GB. If the download doesn't work, right-click on the file and select the Save link as option.
    Downloading the latest Windows Subsystem app from the official file generator using Microsoft Store servers
  6. When the download finishes, go to the file's location.
  7. Double-click on the file and click the Install button.
    The screen for installing the Windows Subsystem for Android app
  8. Once finished installing, the Windows Subsystem for Android launches.
    Install the Windows Subsystem for Android

If the Windows Subsystem for Android doesn't open and mentions something about a virtual machine, you'll need to do a few more things. It involves going into the BIOS or UEFI on your computer and manually enabling the virtual machine setting for the CPU if it's disabled. 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 excellent official support page that shows how to do this.

Alternatively, Winget can easily 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 press Enter: 

winget install --id=9P3395VX91NR -e --accept-package-agreements

If you plan to install loads of apps, back up Windows. Backing up and restoring Windows 10 and 11 installs is 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's not quite that simple. When WSA was first announced, people immediately started looking for ways to install Google Play Store. A helpful script was discovered shortly after, 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 by BleepingComputer.

However, if you're still keen on installing the Google Play Store with Google services, WSAGAScript is an open source project which 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 safe Google 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 should be the perfect solution. All you do is install and open it, download and browse the location of an APK file, and click Install. If that doesn't work, here's how to manually install an APK on Windows Subsystem for Android.

The main screen when using the WSA Sideloader app to install Android apps on Windows 11
  1. Get the stable Aurora Store APK from its official website.
  2. Install the Android Debugging Bridge. Refer to the Windows: Manual Setup section in our ADB guide.
  3. Navigate to the Platform Tools folder, right-click, and select Open in Terminal. This opens a new Powershell command prompt.
    Showing the Open in Terminal option for the platform-tools folder
  4. Open Windows Subsystem for Android, go to Developer, and turn on Developer mode.
    Clicking the Developer mode button in the Windows Subsystem for Android app will turn the feature on
  5. Once turned on, Android's Developer options may pop up in a window. Close it, and you'll see a string of numbers separated by periods and a semicolon. You may need to confirm or add the Windows Subsystem for Android app to your firewall before it shows these numbers.
  6. Go to the Terminal and type adb connect number. Replace number with the number you see in the Developer mode section, then press Enter. For example, ADB connect 127.0.0.1:2000.
  7. Once done, it returns connected and asks you to allow USB debugging. Click Allow to proceed. Check the Always allow from this computer option to skip this step in the future.
  8. Move the Aurora Store APK file to the Platform Tools folder.
    Showing an example of the Aurora Store APK file in the platform-tools folder
  9. Enter adb install AuroraStore_4.1.1.apk in Terminal. Here, 4.1.1 refers to the version number, which could differ depending on when you're reading this. Copy the exact file name and paste it into Terminal, then press Enter. As an easier option, type adb install, press the space bar, then drag and drop the file onto the Terminal screen to point to the exact file.
    The Aurora Store app was successfully installed via the command line on Windows 11
  10. Once done, open the Start menu. You'll find Aurora Store in the Recommended section. Alternatively, you can search for it using the search bar.

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 store is similar to the Google Play Store.

Setting up Aurora Store

Here's how to set up the Aurora Store app.

  1. Click the Aurora Store icon to start the application.
    Opening the Aurora Store app from the Windows 11 Start Menu
  2. Accept the Terms of service and click Next.
    Accepting the Aurora Store terms and conditions
  3. Check Session installer and click Next.
    Selecting the Session installer option in the Aurora Store app
  4. Choose the app's theme and accent, and click Next.
    Selecting the theme and accent options in the Aurora Store app
  5. Grant all the required permissions and proceed further.
  6. When you're done, click Finish.
  7. As WSA lacks GApps, the Sign in with Google option won't work, so click Anonymous.
    Clicking on the Anonymous option easily logs the user into the Aurora Store app
  8. You'll then see the Aurora Store homepage.
    An example of what the Aurora Store home page looks like
  9. To download an app, click an icon and the Install button to start the download.
    An example of the Instagram app about to be installed from Aurora Store
  10. Once done, you'll see a window containing the package installer. Click Install.
    The package installer screen that pops up when installing Instagram on the Windows Subsystem for Android app from Aurora Store
  11. Once an app is installed, you can find it in the Start menu's Recommended section or All apps.
    About to open the Instagram Android app on the Windows 11 Start Menu
  12. Here's Instagram running on WSA.
    An example of the Instagram app running on the Windows Subsystem for Android feature for Windows 11

Like many Google Play Store alternatives, Aurora Store also has its shortcomings. One of them is app availability. However, you can counter it by manually installing APKs from APK Mirror using the adb install command.

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 U.S., and search and download the Amazon Appstore in Windows Store.

Beta and Developer builds could be unstable and are typically not recommended for daily use. Once you receive an insider build, there's no going back to a stable version unless you clean-install Windows.

Windows Subsystem for Android is still limited

As of version 2211.40000.11.0, Microsoft upped the Android version to Android 13. WSA is mostly in its development and testing phases, and there's a long way before it becomes available to all Windows 11 PCs worldwide. Although, with Microsoft shifting gears recently, it may come to your region sooner than expected. Until then, the methods outline in this guide are your best bet to try out WSA.

Overall, 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 the best apps, but it's easier to manage if you prefer to keep things simple.

Now that you've experienced the command line interface, learn about some ingenious ways to use the Windows Command prompt. You might find a new purpose for the command prompt, from removing a program that won't uninstall to reading a text document.