Back in 2021, when Windows 11 was first announced, there was an interesting feature called Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) that was teased, then publicly released in 2022. WSA allows users to run Android apps directly on Windows 11 PCs.
Unfortunately, on March 5, 2024, Microsoft officially deprecated the feature and announced that the Amazon Appstore plus all its apps and games will stop working come March 5, 2025. If you have the Amazon Appstore or Android apps installed on your Windows 11 PC using WSA, they’ll stay operable until the deprecation date.
The problem is that WSA is actually quite popular, and the move to deprecate the compatibility layer has been met with harsh criticism on Microsoft’s Feedback Hub. According to Windows Latest, numerous users are upset and asking Microsoft to reconsider, hopeful that Android app support will continue on Windows 11 in some form:
“When building an Android app, it is essential to see in a Production environment, and WSA provided this option by allowing you to launch a developed APK for UAT/Beta Testing.”