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- #WINDOWS 11 ANDROID UPDATE#
- #WINDOWS 11 ANDROID FOR ANDROID#
- #WINDOWS 11 ANDROID ANDROID#
- #WINDOWS 11 ANDROID PRO#
#WINDOWS 11 ANDROID ANDROID#
You can pin Android apps to the Start menu or taskbar and use all of the windowing and multitasking features of Windows 11 just like a regular desktop app.
#WINDOWS 11 ANDROID FOR ANDROID#
The Windows Subsystem for Android powers the entire experience.Īpps effectively run in a virtual machine, contained within their own world but able to sit side by side with other Windows apps. This also installs a Windows Subsystem for Android in the background, which is the core technology that powers Android apps running on Windows 11.
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Microsoft has partnered with Amazon, so the Microsoft Store will list apps but send you over to Amazon’s Appstore app to get them installed or updated. The experience of installing apps is very simple.
#WINDOWS 11 ANDROID PRO#
I’ve installed the preview version on two systems - a gaming rig with a Core i9 11900K and Microsoft’s Surface Pro X - to get a feel for exactly how well Android apps run on Windows 11. It’s available to testers in the Beta Channel version of Windows 11, which means you’ll need to opt into the Windows Insider program to get access. Microsoft has released the first preview version of its Android apps support in Windows 11. What are they like? Well, we covered that when they originally hit the Beta Channel for Windows 11 insiders, and so far it feels largely identical - so here’s our October 2021 story and video.
#WINDOWS 11 ANDROID UPDATE#
Both operating systems apply some (surprisingly different) behind-the-scenes techniques to enable support.On February 15th, Microsoft released its first big public update to Windows 11 with the long-awaited ability to use Android apps. Running the Android version of Photoshop Express on a Chromebook is no substitute for Photoshop on a Windows 11 PC.Īndroid apps do not run natively on either Chrome OS or Windows 11. It’s also worth remembering that while Windows 11’s Android app functionality is limited, it has a huge library of Microsoft Store and legacy Windows apps not available to Chrome OS. The peculiarities of running apps designed for Android smartphones make for a mediocre experience. Scrolling through a timeline or selecting multiple photos will never feel as responsive as on a mid-range Android smartphone.Ĭhrome OS takes another win here, but it’s nothing to brag about. A laptop or 2-in-1 has a larger, less pixel dense display, so apps look unimpressive and interface elements seem too large. A touchscreen is arguably the preferred way to use Android apps on Windows 11 and Chrome OS, but it’s still not a great experience. Touch support is a disappointment on both operating systems. However, some Android apps aren’t designed to use a file system, which can make moving and sharing files between apps a bit tricky.įiles can be downloaded and accessed from Android apps in Chrome OS, via the Play Files folder. Chrome OS allows the use of the file system, with Android apps saving files into a folder called Play Files. None of the apps I tested on Windows 11 had access to the Windows file system, though this could be a limitation of the apps I tested. Some apps will let you switch to a tablet-sized window, something Windows 11 does not offer, or resize the app as you desire.ĭrag-and-drop does not work with Android apps on either operating system. Unlike Windows 11, Chrome OS locks applications to smartphone orientation by default and the window can’t be resized. This can lead to weird results when using Windows 11 features designed for resizable apps, such as Windows Snap, as the Android app won’t resize to fit the available space and instead be surrounded by transparent borders.Ĭhrome OS also opens Android apps in a standard app window, and apps can be used like any other Chrome OS app. They work in Windows 11’s various interface features, including tab previews and Windows Snaps.Īpps can be resized and most scale well, though 3D games stick to a smartphone orientation. Android apps function like Windows UWP apps from the Windows Store. Launching an Android app on Windows 11 will open the app in a standard app window.
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