How to Run Android Apps on Windows 11 After WSA (2025 Guide)

For a while, Windows 11 had a “built-in” way to run Android apps: Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), paired with the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11. That setup made it feel like Android apps were becoming a native part of Windows.

But things changed.

Microsoft announced that WSA support ends on March 5, 2025, and the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is discontinued after that date.

If you’re here because you searched:

• “Windows 11 Android apps after WSA”
• “WSA discontinued what now”
• “How to install Android apps on Windows 11 in 2025”

…you’re not alone. The good news is: you still have practical options. You just need to choose the right one for your goal—gaming, productivity, messaging, or occasional app access.

This guide explains the best real-world ways to use Android apps on Windows 11 in 2025, including step-by-step setup, safety tips, and which option works best for each use case.

What happened to Android apps on Windows 11?

WSA is officially ending

Microsoft’s Android runtime, Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), reached end-of-support on March 5, 2025.

The Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is also discontinued

Because WSA is going away, Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is no longer supported after March 5, 2025.

Can WSA still run if it’s already installed?

In some cases, WSA may continue to run on machines where it was installed previously. However, after end-of-support, it won’t receive security fixes or updates, which can become a long-term risk.

Practical takeaway:
In 2025, WSA is not the best path for most users. Instead, you’ll choose from emulators, Google Play Games on PC, Phone Link app streaming, or web/PWA alternatives.

The best ways to use Android apps on Windows 11 in 2025 (ranked)

Here’s the simple overview:

Option A — Android emulator (best overall)

Use tools like BlueStacks or LDPlayer to run Android apps in a virtual Android environment on your PC.

• Best for: games, social apps, general Android apps
• Tradeoffs: uses more CPU/RAM; setup is slightly technical

Option B — Google Play Games on PC (best for supported Android games)

Google’s official PC client runs certain Android games on Windows.

• Best for: supported mobile games
• Tradeoffs: only works for games that support it; not for general apps

Option C — Phone Link app streaming (best if you already have an Android phone)

Keep the app running on your phone and view/control it on your PC (depending on device support).

• Best for: messaging, notifications, quick access to phone apps
• Tradeoffs: needs an Android phone, supported model/features vary

Option D — Web apps / PWA / Windows alternatives (best for productivity and safety)

Many “Android apps” are really services that work great in a browser or as a Windows app.

• Best for: email, notes, cloud storage, social media, productivity tools
• Tradeoffs: not all features match the mobile app

Step 1: Decide what you actually want to do (this saves time)

Most frustration comes from choosing the wrong tool.

If your goal is… playing Android games

Start with:

1. Google Play Games on PC (if your game is supported)
2. If not supported → BlueStacks / LDPlayer

If your goal is… running a specific Android-only app

Start with BlueStacks / LDPlayer.

If your goal is… using your phone apps on PC occasionally

Try Phone Link, especially if you mainly want access to notifications and messages.

If your goal is… chat + work

Check if there’s a web/PWA solution first. It’s usually the safest and simplest.

Option A: Run Android apps using an emulator (BlueStacks method)

What is an Android emulator?

An emulator creates a virtual Android device inside Windows. You install apps (often via Google Play) and use them like you would on a phone—except with a keyboard, mouse, and bigger screen.

Why emulators are the #1 WSA replacement

Because they:

• don’t rely on WSA
• work with many Android apps
• support multiple Android versions
• can run multiple app instances (useful for testing or multi-account games)

Recommended emulator: BlueStacks

BlueStacks is one of the most popular Android app players on Windows.

Minimum requirements (realistic baseline)

BlueStacks’ support page lists minimum requirements like:

• Windows 7+ (Windows 10/11 supported)
• Intel/AMD CPU
• At least 4GB RAM
• At least 5GB free disk space

Real-world tip:
For smooth performance in 2025, aim for 8GB–16GB RAM and an SSD.

Step-by-step: How to install Android apps on Windows 11 with BlueStacks

1) Download BlueStacks from the official site

Do not download from random “free download” mirrors.

• Go to BlueStacks official site
• Download the latest installer
• Install like a normal Windows application

2) Enable virtualization (VT) if needed

Many emulators run best (or only run) when virtualization is enabled.

BlueStacks provides a guide for enabling virtualization (VT) on Windows 11.

Quick check (easy method)

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
2. Open the Performance tab
3. Look for Virtualization: Enabled

If it’s disabled, you may need to enable it in BIOS/UEFI.

If BIOS scares you, don’t panic—most PCs make this a simple toggle.
Just take your time and follow the guide that matches your PC brand.

3) Sign in to Google Play (optional but recommended)

BlueStacks usually lets you sign in with a Google account, then you can use Google Play to install apps normally.

4) Install apps and run them

Search the app, install, and launch.

5) Make it feel “Windows-native”

To reduce friction:

• Pin your favorite emulator apps to the taskbar (BlueStacks supports shortcuts)
• Enable keyboard mapping (for games)
• Adjust emulator settings for performance (CPU cores, RAM allocation, graphics mode)

Safety checklist: using emulators without regrets

Emulators themselves can be safe—but your setup choices matter.

Do this:

• Download only from official websites
• Keep Windows Security / antivirus enabled
• Avoid “modded APK packs” from unknown sites
• Use a dedicated Google account for testing if you’re cautious

Avoid this:

• Installing APKs from suspicious forums
• Installing “helper programs” bundled with shady installers
• Granting Accessibility permissions to unknown apps (on Android emulators too)

Can you sync data between PC emulator and Android phone?

Yes—often.

It depends on how the app stores data:

• Cloud account-based apps (Google, Meta, X, Microsoft, etc.)
  → usually sync perfectly across phone + emulator + browser
• Apps that store data locally with no account sign-in
  → won’t sync unless the app supports export/import
• Games
  → sync only if they support cloud save or account linking (Google, Facebook, publisher accounts)

Important:
Some competitive games restrict emulator use. Always check the game’s rules.

Option B: Google Play Games on PC (official Android games on Windows)

If you only care about Android games, Google’s solution may be simpler than a full emulator.

What it is

Google Play Games on PC is Google’s official Windows app that allows you to play supported Android games on PC.

Google publishes ongoing release notes and updates for the PC client.

Why this can be better than emulators (for games)

• It’s official
• Performance is often stable
• It’s designed for PC controls and screens
• Game compatibility (when supported) is clean

The big limitation

It’s not a general Android environment. It’s mainly for supported games.

Best use case

You want to play one of the supported mobile games, on PC, without fiddling with emulator settings.

Option C: Phone Link app streaming (Android phone + Windows 11 together)

If you already own an Android phone, you may not need to “run Android apps on Windows” at all.

Sometimes it’s enough to use the phone app from your PC.

What Phone Link does

Microsoft’s Phone Link connects your Android phone and Windows PC.

Depending on your device, you can:

• see phone notifications on PC
• send/receive texts
• access recent photos
• in some cases, stream apps / mirror screens

Microsoft’s official requirements include:

• Windows 10 (May 2019 update) or later (Windows 11 works)
• Android 7.0+

Why Phone Link is great

• No emulation
• No extra Android environment
• Uses your phone’s real apps and logins
• Perfect for messaging, quick verification codes, and photo transfer

Limitations

• Features depend on phone brand/model
• App streaming is not always available
• Some security features (like sensitive notifications) can be restricted depending on Android/Phone Link updates

Best use case

You want practical “Android access” on Windows without installing a full emulator.

Option D: Use Web / PWA / Windows alternatives (often the smartest move)

This option sounds boring, but it’s the most underrated.

Many apps people want (messaging, email, calendars, notes) already have:

• a web version
• a desktop app
• or a PWA (installable web app)

Why this is often better than Android emulation

• Faster
• Safer
• Uses fewer system resources
• Updates automatically
• Works across Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android

Examples where web/PWA is a win

• Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs
• Notion, Trello, Slack
• Instagram / X (web)
• Many banking services (web portals)
• Cloud storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive

Quick tip: install as a PWA

In Chrome/Edge you can often do:

• Menu → Install app
• It becomes a windowed “app” with its own icon
• It feels much closer to a native application

Troubleshooting: common problems and quick fixes

Problem 1: Emulator feels slow or stutters

Try:

• Enable virtualization (VT) in BIOS/UEFI
• Close heavy apps (browser tabs, video editing, games)
• Increase emulator RAM/CPU allocation
• Switch graphics mode (DirectX vs OpenGL in emulator settings)
• Update GPU drivers

Problem 2: “Cannot start” or Hyper-V conflicts

Windows virtualization features can interfere with some emulators.

Try:

• Use the emulator’s Hyper-V compatible version/settings (if available)
• Ensure your emulator is updated
• Check if Windows features like Hyper-V / Virtual Machine Platform are on or off depending on emulator guidance

(Emulators differ here; follow their official troubleshooting guides.)

Problem 3: Google Play won’t sign in

Try:

• Set correct date/time in emulator
• Clear Play Store cache (inside emulator Android settings)
• Recreate the emulator instance
• Use a different Google account temporarily for testing

Problem 4: App crashes immediately

Try:

• Use a different Android version instance (Android 9 vs Android 11, etc.)
• Update the emulator
• Check if the app blocks emulators
• Use web/PWA alternative instead

What about iPhone users?

If you’re an iPhone user and you want Android apps on Windows 11, you have two realistic paths:

1) Use an emulator (best option)

Because you don’t have an Android device for Phone Link’s Android-specific features.

2) Use web/PWA versions instead

This often covers 80% of what people want.

Recommendation:
If you’re iPhone-only, start with web/PWA for productivity and emulators only when you truly need a specific Android-only app.

Which option should you choose? (quick decision guide)

Choose an emulator if:

• you need Android apps (not just games)
• your app is Android-only
• you want a full Android environment on Windows 11

Choose Google Play Games on PC if:

• your goal is playing supported Android games
• you want official stability and clean performance

Choose Phone Link if:

• you already have an Android phone
• you want practical daily workflows (texts, photos, notifications)

Choose web/PWA if:

• your goal is productivity, messaging, and cloud services
• you want the simplest and safest approach

Final thoughts: Android apps on Windows 11 aren’t gone—they just changed shape

WSA ending feels like a loss, but in real life, most people didn’t use WSA daily. What they actually wanted was:

• run one app
• play a mobile game on a bigger screen
• reply to messages from PC
• sync notes and files across devices

You can still do all of that in 2025.

If you want one “best default” choice:
Start with web/PWA (fastest), then add an emulator only when you need a true Android-only app.

And if you already have Android hardware, Phone Link is often the most comfortable “bridge” between phone and PC.

Recommended Article

・App Disappeared After Windows Upgrade? Here’s Why and How to Get It Back

・10 Windows Settings You Should Disable Immediately

・How to Share Files Between Your Windows PC and Android/iPhone

タグ: Windows 11, Phone Link, BlueStacks, WSA, Google Play Games on PC, Android apps, app streaming, Android emulator