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.
To sideload apps, you have to go into the
WSA settings to enable Developer mode,
which is under the Developer tab. On the
same screen, you should make note of the
internal IP address, which you will need later.
Note that the IP address may only appear
when the Android Subsystem is running.
FINDING ANDROID APPS
Even if Windows 11 had access to the full
catalog of the Amazon Appstore, pickings
would be slim. As it stands, you only get a
subset of Amazon’s apps. If you want to install
something from outside the Appstore, you’ll
need to get your hands on the APK file.
You’ve got two options: Download apps from
a reputable source or save APKs from an
Android phone.
If you have an Android phone, grabbing
the APK from your installed app list is the
safest way. You’ll need an APK extractor app
like ML Manager (fave.co/3S2BTiR) to do
that, but you can save and share the file to
your PC without worrying about the source.
Even if you do have an Android device,
downloading APKs from a trusted online
source can be worthwhile. You can
sometimes get apps that aren’t
hosted in the Play Store, as well
as older versions of apps that
have been changed or updated
with undesirable features. APK
Mirror (fave.co/3DJZKQk) and
F-droid (fave.co/3S5Q1Ib) are
both good, trustworthy options
to download free apps. If you
want paid apps that aren’t in
Amazon’s store, you’ll have to
raise the Jolly Roger and engage