Tag: windows subsystem for android

Microsoft Announces End of Support for Android apps on Windows 11 in 2025

Microsoft has made the surprising decision to end support for Windows Subsytem for Android (WSA), a virtual machine that allowed it to bring Android apps to Windows 11 through the Amazon Appstore marketplace. The tech giant first gained the official support for the mobile apps through a deal with Amazon in 2021, and ever since then it has regularly updated the platform. As per the announcement, Windows 11 users will not be able to use Android apps after March 5, 2025.

The announcement was made by Microsoft via a note labeled as “Important” on the Windows Subsystem for Android web page on March 5, 2024. The company highlighted that after the given date next year, Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported. “Until then, technical support will remain available to customers. Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025,” it added.

Additionally, Amazon also posted an update for developers explaining how the development will impact them and important dates for them to note. According to the ecommerce giant, developers will not be able to submit new apps any more. This was put into effect on Tuesday. However, those developers who already have an app can continue to provide updates and support till the discontinuation date in 2025.

Users can continue to use any pre-installed apps for the next year till March 5, 2025. However, downloading and installing new apps is not possible. The Amazon Appstore and any associated Android apps on Microsoft Store will not be searchable on Windows 11 either. The surprise move comes just three years after Microsoft first introduced WSA. While the company did not mention any reason for the decision, a report by Ars Technica has highlighted that Android app users on Windows 11 were quite low.

The report mentions that this was because Microsoft could not make a deal with Google and instead onboarded Amazon Appstore, which has a much smaller selection of apps compared to Play Store. Further, most major app developers already provide either a web-based interface or a Windows app separately. These reasons could have resulted in WSA and native Android apps never catching on in popularity.

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Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 Updated With Improvements for Gamers: All Details

Microsoft on Tuesday released an update for the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. The update is being rolled out to all Windows Insider channels in the US. The new update, version 2206.40000.15.0, primarily focuses on games. It also brings several new changes such as enhancements for input compatibility in apps for networking, windowing improvements, and reliability. The update also brings a new suite of shims (libraries) to toggle in the Windows Subsystem for Android settings app that will enable better experiences in several apps, according to the company.

In a blog post, the tech giant has announced the release of an update for the Windows Subsystem for Android with the version 2206.40000.15.0. The update is currently available to all Windows Insider channels, but only in the US. According to Microsoft, it includes “several new changes such as updates for input compatibility in apps such as games, networking and windowing improvements, and reliability updates.”

Microsoft is making a new suite of shims (libraries used to transparently intercept application programming interfaces, or APIs) available to toggle in the Windows Subsystem for Android settings app that is said to enable better experiences in several apps. It is also adding compatibility for games with joysticks, mapped to the WASD keys. Compatibility for gamepad in games, for aiming in games with arrow keys, and for sliding in games with arrow keys is also being introduced.

Additionally, the new Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 also offers improved scrolling and networking. Microsoft has also set the default minimum window size to 220dp. The update also brings an improved dialog when an unsupported VPN is detected, a new toggle to view and save diagnostic data, security updates, general reliability fixes, and graphics improvements. The general reliability fixes also include improvements to diagnostic sizes.

Microsoft has also highlighted a known issue with the new Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 update. According to the company, some VPNs may not work with Advanced Networking. If a user doesn’t have network connectivity for Android apps while using a VPN, they can disable Advanced Networking in the Windows Subsystem for Android settings app, according to the company.

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