The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) is a Windows 11 feature that lets you install and run Android apps on a Windows computer. Microsoft first previewed the feature in 2021, rolled out a preview to beta testers a few months later, followed by a public beta in early 2022 and a wider launch later that year.
And now Microsoft has announced the next step: it’s pulling the plug on the Windows Subsystem for Android next year.
In an update posted this week to the Windows Subsystem for Android support documentation, Microsoft notes that it’s “ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android™️ (WSA)” on March 5, 2025.
The company notes that “all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported” after that date.
It’s unclear exactly why Microsoft has decided to axe this feature, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a combination of tech trends influenced the move. When the company first announced it was adding support for Android apps, it seemed like a response to long-running complaints that Windows tablets didn’t have access to the broad ecosystem of mobile, touch-friendly apps that iPads and Android tablets did… but Microsoft never struck a deal with Google to allow users to install the Google Play Store on its tablets, and instead partnered with Amazon to offer Amazon Appstore integration with WSA and the Microsoft Store.
But Amazon’s Appstore is kind of a wasteland that’s missing many of the most popular Android apps and games available from the Play Store. That said, Amazon’s own Android apps including Audible, ComiXology, and Kindle work pretty nicely with WSA and it’ll be a shame to see those go because Amazon doesn’t offer native Windows versions of those apps through the Microsoft Store (instead the company offers web apps that lack some of the capabilities of its Android apps).
Some users did figure out how to unofficially install Google’s app store or sideload apps from sources other than the Amazon Appstore. But the process for doing these things was never particularly user-friendly. And overall I wouldn’t be surprised if WSA usage has remained pretty small over the past few years.
Also worth keeping in mind? Apps are boring and old-school. Tech companies are chasing shiny new things, and Microsoft seems to be one of many companies that’s shifting its focus to AI.
So what does this mean for folks that are using WSA to run Android apps on their Windows PCs? In the short term, nothing. If you’ve already installed the Amazon Appstore or any Android apps or games, they should continue to work through March 5, 2025 and Microsoft will continue to offer technical support.
But according to Amazon, starting March 6, 2024 you won’t find the Amazon Appstore or any associated Android apps in the Microsoft Store anymore, and developers will no longer be able to submit new apps targeting Windows 11 (although developers with apps that are already available for Windows 11 will be able to continue releasing updates through March 5, 2025).
Amazon notes that if you’ve uninstalled the Appstore and would like to reinstall it, you’ll still be able to do that until the end-of-support date by copying and pasting this link into a browser: ms-windows-store://pdp?productid=9NJHK44TTKSX&launch=true&cid=amazon.
While I rarely used the Windows Subsystem for Android after kicking the tires in the early days, I am still a bit sad to see it go. It would have been far more useful if Microsoft and Google had worked together to bring the Play Store to Windows PCs, but WSA still offered one of the easiest methods for running mobile apps on a Windows computer without the need to install a third-party emulator or virtual machine like BlueStacks, Genymotion, or Nox.
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
