Install Android apps on Windows 11 (two ways)

• To install Android apps on Windows 11, set up the “Amazon Appstore” and “WSA,” and then open and sign in to the Appstore, select the Android app, and click “Install.”
• Alternatively, you can also sideload Android apps, and to do this, download and install the “ADB Installer,” enable WSA developer mode, and use the “adb install” command from Command Prompt to install Android apps using any “.apk” package.

UPDATED 8/4/2023: On Windows 11, you can install Android apps in at least two ways, and in this guide, you will learn how. Since these are two separate platforms, you will need to set up the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) and the Amazon Appstore app to download and install Android apps on Windows 11. However, if the Appstore doesn’t have the app you want, you can always sideload apps using the “ADB Installer” tool. 

The only caveat about the Android apps on Windows 11 is that you cannot use any of the applications from Google, such as Gmail, Maps, and others, because they require the Google Play Store services connection, which is not supported on Windows 11.

If you no longer have use for a particular app, the integration also makes it easy to uninstall any app, whether it’s one from the Amazon Appstore or sideload from any source.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to add and remove apps from the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11.

Install Android apps on Windows 11

If you want to install Android apps on Windows 11, you first have to install the Windows Subsystem for Android and the Amazon Appstore. Once the platform is configured, you can install apps from the AppStore or sideload them using the “.apk” file.

Install Windows Subsystem for Android

To install the Windows Subsystem for Android to support Android apps on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 11.

2. Search for Turn Windows features on or off and click the top result to open the app.

3. Check the “Virtual Machine Platform” option.

   

   Quick note: If the feature is already enabled, you can proceed with step 6 to install the Amazon AppStore.

4. Click the OK button.

5. Restart the computer.

6. Open the Amazon Appstore app page.

7. Click the Install button to install WSA and the Amazon Appstore.

   

Once you complete the steps, you can install Android apps on Windows 11. If you have problems installing this app, you can install WSA directly with the steps below.

(Method 1) Install Android apps from Amazon Appstore

To install an Android app on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Amazon Appstore and click the top result to open the app.

3. Sign in with Amazon (U.S.-based) account.

   

4. Search and select the app.

5. Click the Install button to install the Android app.

Once you complete the steps, you can open the Android app from the Start menu. If the app isn’t available through the Appstore, you can sideload it with the instructions below.

(Method 2) Install Android apps outside Amazon Appstore

To sideload Android apps on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenADB Installer (web).

2. Under the “ADB and fastboot” section, click the Download button.

   

3. Save the zip file on the computer.

4. Double-click the platform-tools zip folder.

5. Click the Extract all button from the command bar.

   

6. Select the location to extract the files that allow sideloading of Android apps.

7. Click the Extract button.

8. Open Start.

9. Search for Windows Subsystem for Android and click the top result to open the app settings.

10. Click on Developer.

11. Turn on the Developer mode toggle switch.

    

12. Click the “Manage developer settings” option to start WSA on Windows 11 (if applicable).

13. Click the IP address of the “Windows Subsystem for Android” virtual machine to the clipboard.

14. Open Start.

15. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

16. Type the following command to navigate to the platform-tools folder and press Enter:

    cd C:\platform-tools

    In the command, change the path with the location where you extracted the files.

17. Type the following command to connect to the Windows Subsystem for Android app and press Enter:

    adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526

    In the command, change the IP address corresponding to your WSA instance.

18. Type the following command to “sideload the Android app on Windows 11” and press Enter:

    adb install gmail.apk

    

    In the command, specify the name of the “apk” package you downloaded from another source and want to install on Windows 11. Also, the .apk file should be stored in the “platform-tools” folder to work.

After you complete the steps, the app will install on Windows 11.

Although you can sideload any app apps, the Windows Subsystem for Android won’t allow you to run apps that require Google Play Services, such as Gmail, Google Maps, and others, because it’s not supported.

Alternatively, you can also use the WSATools to sideload Android apps on Windows 11.

Uninstall Android apps on Windows 11

To uninstall an Android app from your computer, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Apps.

3. Click the Apps & features page from the right side.

4. Select the Android app.

5. Click the menu (three-dotted) button on the right and select the Uninstall button.

   

Alternatively, you can also right-click the app from the Start menu and select the Uninstall button.