In an attempt to get more developers to release apps for Windows, Microsoft did something unusual with Windows 10: the company offered tools that make it easy for iOS, Android, and web app developers to convert their existing apps into Universal Windows apps that can be submitted to the Windows Store.

That wouldn’t really help users much unless developers actually make use of those tools… but it turns out many Android apps can run on Windows even if they haven’t been officially ported to the platform.

Now a group of hackers have taken the next step and figure out how to install the Google Mobile Services and Google Apps including the Google Play Store on smartphones running Windows 10 Mobile software. This is very much an unofficial project, and a work in progress though.

google play logo

This could make it almost as easy to find and install Android apps on a Windows phone as it is on an Android phone… at if and when developers can figure out how to make it work better.

So here’s the thing: you can sideload a number of Android apps on a phone running Windows 10 Mobile. But apps that require Google Mobile Services won’t work properly.

So developers are working on ways to install Google Mobile Services with support for the Play Store and other features that will not only make it easy to install third-party apps without sideloading them, but will also help sideloaded apps to work better.

Xda-developer forum member ADeltaX has released a script that helps you load Google Apps onto a number of recent Lumia devices running Windows 10 Mobile preview software.

But early testers have noticed that the Google Play Store doesn’t work yet. According to ADeltaX, that’s because Microsoft’s Project Astoria software that allows Android apps to run on Windows currently only supports running a single app at a time. This causes the Play Store to crash since it relies on other apps and services.

So while it’s possible to load the Play Store on a Windows 10 Mobile device, it’s not actually possible to use it yet… at least until developer find a way to get around Microsoft’s restriction.

The source code and project files are hosted at Github, and you can find more details (and check for updates) in a thread at the xd-developers forum.

Work on this project began earlier this month, and you can check out a different forum thread for more details, although the installation process outlined in that thread seems to no longer be recommended.

Update: This post has been updated to clarify that while’s it’s currently possible to install the Play Store, it will crash if you actually try to use it.

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11 replies on “Windows 10 Mobile phones get unofficial Google Mobile Services (updated)”

  1. If this ends up working I am done with Android. It is so inefficient and buggy vs iOS or Windows. The APP ecosystem is the only thing holding me back.

  2. Making something theoretically possible is not the same as making it “easy.” There is no ROI to porting software to such a minority platform, thus even in a highly competitive market developers don’t have much interest in those UWP Bridges. While hacks that allow a few Android apps to run on Windows Mobile 10 might be curiosities it isn’t clear how meaningful any of that is either.

  3. if this works, when my contract ends im gonna get a windows phone 10

    1. Why not? Getting Google services on the competition’s platform is good for Google.
      If anything, it will be Microsoft that won’t let this stand. They want users to use their services (like Bing).

      1. MS services are available on iOS and Droid right now. Some MS products are even better on iOS…

      2. MS practically begged Google for Youtube and other services. Google is the one not playing nice, and the integration of google play services into apps for no good reason is very anti-consumer. Not just for WP, but for people who want Android without google. (Blackberry, Amazon, etc.) Android and its apps are supposed to be for everyone, but Google is being a real prick about it. End of rant lol.

  4. This is really cool. And as a fan of the W10M platform, it’s exciting to see the developers become interested again.

    1. Not entirely sure this qualifies as developers becoming interested though. If and when they start developing native apps for W10M or using a proper cross-platform development kit, like Unity, then perhaps it’s time to be encouraged.

      1. It certainly does. If you know anything about WP8/8.1, there was little to no hacking/development done in the XDA forums. That sort of stuff breeds enthusiasm in the fanbase and developer base. WM6.5 and such was a different story, but the renewed interest is exciting.

    2. ive yet to see a working properly windows 10 phone. My email just leaped to 14 emails after 1 day of rolling back to 8.1 That’s 15 emails my outlook mail on windows phone platform didn’t see lol, that’s plain awful at this late stage on any windows platform.

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