Microsoft has made the surprising decision to end support for Windows Subsytem for Android (WSA), a virtual machine that allowed it to bring Android apps to Windows 11 through the Amazon Appstore marketplace. The tech giant first gained the official support for the mobile apps through a deal with Amazon in 2021, and ever since then it has regularly updated the platform. As per the announcement, Windows 11 users will not be able to use Android apps after March 5, 2025.
The announcement was made by Microsoft via a note labeled as “Important” on the Windows Subsystem for Android web page on March 5, 2024. The company highlighted that after the given date next year, Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported. “Until then, technical support will remain available to customers. Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025,” it added.
Additionally, Amazon also posted an update for developers explaining how the development will impact them and important dates for them to note. According to the ecommerce giant, developers will not be able to submit new apps any more. This was put into effect on Tuesday. However, those developers who already have an app can continue to provide updates and support till the discontinuation date in 2025.
Users can continue to use any pre-installed apps for the next year till March 5, 2025. However, downloading and installing new apps is not possible. The Amazon Appstore and any associated Android apps on Microsoft Store will not be searchable on Windows 11 either. The surprise move comes just three years after Microsoft first introduced WSA. While the company did not mention any reason for the decision, a report by Ars Technica has highlighted that Android app users on Windows 11 were quite low.
The report mentions that this was because Microsoft could not make a deal with Google and instead onboarded Amazon Appstore, which has a much smaller selection of apps compared to Play Store. Further, most major app developers already provide either a web-based interface or a Windows app separately. These reasons could have resulted in WSA and native Android apps never catching on in popularity.