Windows 11 is the first version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system to offer native support for running Android applications. The official way to do that is to install the Amazon Appstore from the Microsoft Store and use it to find Android apps and games that you want to run on your PC. But while there […]
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WSA PacMan makes sideloading Android apps on Windows 11 easy
The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) allows you to run Android apps on a Windows 11 PC. While the software is still in beta, it’s publicly available to anyone in the Windows Insider Preview program running Dev Channel or Beta Channel pre-release builds of Windows 11. When you install WSA, you’ll also get the Amazon […]
Amazon Appstore will support Android App Bundles (but they’ll be optional for developers)
The process of installing apps on Android devices hasn’t changed all that much since the operating system first debuted well over a decade ago. Whether you’re installing an app from the Google Play Store or from another source, what you’re basically doing is downloading and installing an APK (Android Package) file. But a few years […]
Sideloading some Android apps could get more complicated as Google pushes Android App Bundles
One of the things that’s long set Android apart from iOS is that while both Google and Apple maintain app stores, Google makes it fairly easy for users to install apps downloaded from sources other than the Google Play Store. It’s a process commonly known as sideloading. But starting later this summer, sideloading some apps could […]
You’ll be able to install/sideload Android apps on Windows 11 with an APK
Microsoft introduced support for running Linux applications on Windows computers with the launch of Windows 10. Starting with Windows 11 you’ll also be able to run Android applications on Windows PCs. While announcing the feature this week, Microsoft noted that Android apps will be available in the Microsoft Store on Windows 11 computers, thanks to […]
Run Android apps on the Librem 5 with Anbox
Anbox is a tool that allows you to run Android apps on devices running a GNU/Linux-based operating system. First released in 2017, the Anbox was originally designed to bring Android apps to desktop computers. But it didn’t take long for developers to begin porting Anbox to run on Linux smartphones. It’s already possible to use […]
Future Android system updates might come from the Play Store
Google may be developing a way to send out Android system updates the same way it delivers app updates — through the Play Store. The folks at 9to5Google were examining the latest version of the Play Store app and they found a bunch of mentions of a system update component. It’s not ready for prime […]
Google app for Android may be getting an experimental “Labs” feature
The latest beta version of the Google app for Android has a few lines of code tucked inside that hint at upcoming features, according ton an analysis by 9to5Google. Among other things, it looks like there may be Google Assistant could eventually add support for some new devices, the Continued Conversation feature that debuted last year […]
Chromebooks to allow sideloading of Android apps without Developer Mode (enterprise-only feature at launch?)
You’ve been able to run Android apps on some Chromebooks since mid-2016Â by enabling access to the Google Play Store and then downloading and installing apps from the store. You can also sideload Android APK files, but you need to enable developer mode to do that… which will wipe your data and loosen some of the […]
How to get Android apps without using the Play Store
Most Android phones, tablets, and TV boxes sold in the US ship with the Google Play Store pre-installed. Some devices, like the Amazon Fire line of tablets lack the Play Store, but it’s often easy to find a way to load it yourself. But the Play Store isn’t the only place to find Android apps. […]