Windows 11 Works With Android Apps

Microsoft dropped a surprise at the launch of Windows 11 with the addition of Android apps. This is the first time Microsoft has allowed Android apps on the operating system at such a deep level, starting with major apps like TikTok and Instagram, all running with Intel Bridge technology. Now you can run iOS apps on MacOS and Android apps on Chrome OS and Android apps on Windows – what's next?

Android apps will run natively on Windows 11, and will be available through the official Microsoft Store. It's unclear at the moment whether it'll be simple to side-load (so to speak) Android apps in Windows 11, but the first wave of officially-served Android apps will come via the Microsoft Store for certain.

Android apps will appear in the Microsoft Store with indicators that they are, indeed, Android apps, but will be able to be used, pinned, and opened like standard desktop apps. Given what we've seen with mobile apps – Android apps especially – in environments like Chrome OS, Microsoft's approach to integrating the software should be interesting.

Now that Windows 11 has access to Android apps, will Apple ramp up efforts to integrate higher-powered iOS apps on macOS, more than they've already done with what's allowed with M1 chips? Will developers create mobile apps that are better suited for desktop environments for real – or will this be the collapse of the mobile app altogether?

Take a peek at the timeline below for more information about the launch of Windows 11 and the ways in which you'll be able to gain access to this operating system as soon as possible. Stick around as we learn and relay more information about the operating system and the various ways in which we'll be able to expand our computing experience on multiple machines!