X

Windows 11 Lets You Download More Android Apps. Here's How

One of the operating system's most anticipated features has an even larger catalog than before.

Headshot of Shelby Brown
Headshot of Shelby Brown
Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
Credentials
  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Headshot of Zachary McAuliffe
Headshot of Zachary McAuliffe
Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer
Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.
Expertise Web hosting | Operating systems | Applications | Software Credentials
  • Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
Shelby Brown
Zachary McAuliffe
2 min read
windows-11-review-4

Windows 11 users can explore more Android apps for PC. 

 Microsoft

Windows 11, Microsoft's latest operating system, rolled out one of its most anticipated features, Android apps for PC, in February. The Amazon Appstore preview in the Microsoft Store -- where you can download Android apps -- now lets you explore more than 20,000 apps and games, according to Microsoft. 

Accessing Android Apps for PC with Windows 11 has a few hardware requirements, including at least 8GB of RAM, a solid-state drive and a supported processor. Here's how to checkout the Amazon Appstore preview:

1. Open the Microsoft Store (make sure it's up to date by opening the store and clicking Get updates > Library).
2. Search for your favorite apps or games.
3. Download them through the Amazon Appstore.

"These apps feel like a part of Windows, integrating naturally with Windows input and windowing experiences, like Snap layouts," Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay said in a statement in February.

Along with the Amazon Appstore preview, Microsoft rolled out improvements to the taskbar. The enhanced taskbar added the ability to share windows from open apps, weather reports, a clock on your second monitor and mute/unmute features to make video calls easier. There are also redesigned versions of the venerable Media Player and Notepad apps.  

Microsoft has been rolling out Windows 11 in phases, but support for Windows 10 will remain in place for a few more years (check out CNET's comparison of Windows 10 versus Windows 11). If you're still using Windows 10, you can use Android apps on your PC if you're a Samsung Galaxy owner.  

For more, check out how to tell if your device will run Windows 10 and our favorite Windows 11 features so far.

Watch this: Windows 11 Won't Let a Low Battery Catch You by Surprise