Microsoft announced Windows 11 last week, which is a pretty significant change from Windows 10. We have a redesigned user interface, improved window layouts, and improved support for virtual desktops. But the biggest addition has to be Android app support.
Yes, with Windows you can now download Android apps natively and run them through a new subsystem in the desktop operating system. Are people actually going to be using Android apps on Windows 11? We asked readers that last week.
Will you be using Android apps on your Windows 11 PC?
Results
After we posted the poll in our announcement article, over 4,500 votes were cast. The results show that just under two-thirds of respondents will definitely use Android apps on Windows 11 desktop and just over 29% say they use Android apps occasionally.
It’s interesting, but not surprising, that so many respondents want to run Android apps on their PC. Finally, there are some services that work better than apps (or aren’t officially available on the desktop) like Clubhouse, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Roughly one in five users surveyed said that they are looking at Android apps on Windows 11 and would first wait to see how it works. This is understandable too, because the last thing you want is Android apps to run poorly or the installation process to be a chore.
Related coverage: The best Android emulators for PC and Mac
After all, less than one in ten respondents say they’re not interested in running Android apps on their Windows 11 PC. We can understand why some don’t like this concept, as Microsoft relies on the ho-hum Amazon AppStore for Android apps. This means that a significant proportion of the apps (including many Google apps) are not supported. It’s also worth noting that many Windows users have traditionally relied on their browser for important services rather than downloading dedicated apps.
In any case, it is clear that over 90% of the readers surveyed are open to using Android apps at least under Windows 11.
Remarks
- PhoenixWitti: With Microsoft basically kicking the butt these days, I wonder how well a Windows Phone would do today.
- Albin: Microsoft already has a huge number (some pretty good) Android apps for a lot of its main software that are currently free, but if the apps work on PCs that could change.
- Panda: Hopefully the Instagram app is in the store so I don’t have to go on my phone every time to view disappearing messages
- Mdknight: Nice to see that it was finally officially announced but somehow went down from using the Amazon App Store instead of the Google Play Store. I’m not really interested in being lured back into Amazon’s digital ecosystem; just shop.
Thank you for your vote in our poll and for leaving comments! Are there certain Android apps that you want to run on Windows 11? Let us know below.
