With the news that Android applications will be available on Windows 11, users can expect to find Android apps available for download with a few terms and conditions to apply.
Let’s look at how this integration will roll out and why it may not be the solution we hoped for.
How will Android apps be available on Windows 11?
Rather than relying on a version of the Google Play Store optimized for Windows, Android applications will be available on Windows through the app store maintained by Amazon. This arrangement brings a few challenges with it, however.
For one, Amazon’s Appstore offers remarkably few apps compared to the other marketplaces. What’s worse, this lack of apps is particularly apparent regarding the productivity-based software you’d expect to find. Naturally, there aren’t any of Google’s applications, and many famous business applications like Trello, Slack, and Asana are missing. LastPass, 1Password, and Bitwarden are also absent as far as password management solutions are concerned. Many Microsoft programs don’t appear either. While Outlook, the all-in-one version of Office, and OneNote are there, others aren’t. Major banking applications aren’t there.
Exacerbating this issue is that many of the apps available aren’t correctly maintained, far outdated compared to the versions present on the Play Store.
Why is this the case?
The root of all of these issues is Google Play Services, a key component to many applications’ operations. Google Play Services enables an application to handle purchases, use location data, push notifications, and various other functions.
Naturally, this makes Google Play Services critical to the functionality of Android applications and a challenge to host on more than one app store and why many titles are missing from Amazon’s. A developer effectively has to reinvent the wheel to put the same application on Amazon’s Appstore. Otherwise, the application breaks.
So, with developers simply not focusing their efforts on optimizing their applications for all platforms, these deficits will be reflected in the applications available on Windows 11.
Will this change?
Perhaps, provided that app developers focus on making their applications available through Amazon’s Appstore. In the meantime, you can count on 4Corner IT to equip your team members with the tools they need to function efficiently.
Give us a call at (954) 474-2204 to learn more.
Nice article. While the first general release of Windows 11 will include features like a more streamlined, Mac-like design, an updated Start menu, new multitasking tools, and integrated Microsoft Teams, it will not include one of the most anticipated updates: support for Android mobile apps in its new app store. Microsoft also didn’t offer a date for when Android apps would be available either, other than saying that they would roll out in a “preview” test “over the coming months,” according to the post.keep up the good work