Android debugging bridge windows 11

Microsoft has recently made Windows Subsystem for Android available to the Windows 11 Beta channel users. Windows Subsystem for Android is essentially the infrastructure that will allow everyone, hopefully in the near future, to run Android apps natively on the operating system. This will get rid of any third party emulators that you might have been using to run Android apps on your Windows machine. This feature is currently only available in the Windows Insider Program, however, it won’t be long before everyone gets to enjoy running the apps natively. In addition to all of that, Microsoft, at this current time, only allows you to run a few selected apps on your operating system and more apps will be made available as the beta phase moves on.

As it turns out, Microsoft has partnered with Amazon to use the Amazon Appstore on Windows machines to download Android apps. While this sounds really cool, to be able to run Android apps on Windows 11, some users may be disappointed a little. The reason being that Amazon Appstore is supported which means that you are not allowed to make use of the vast library of apps and games that are present in the Google Play Store — at least officially. Thankfully, we are here to change that and by following this article, you will be able to run almost any Android app on your Windows machine.

How does this work?

Like we have mentioned initially, at the core of all of this, is the Windows Subsystem for Android environment. Fortunately, this environment has a debugging option available that can be used to install other Android apps on your system.

Now, in order to use this said debugging option, we will be making use of the Android Debugging Bridge binary which can be used any Android APK file on a device. With the help of ADB, we will be able to sideload any Android apk files which gives you a wider range of applications other than the ones that are just available on the Amazon Appstore. With that said, let us get started and show you how to sideload Android apps on Windows 11.

As it turns out, the first thing that you need to do in order to sideload Android apps is to download the Android Debugging Bridge binary on your computer. To do this, follow the instructions down below:

1. First of all, open up this link in your browser which will automatically download the latest version of the Android SDK Platform Tools on your computer.
2. Once you have downloaded the zip file, extract it to any desired location like your C: drive. Doing this will give you a platform-tools folder in your C: drive.
3. And you are done.

Now that you have downloaded Android Debugging Bridge on your computer, we can use it to sideload Android apps on Windows 11 operating system. Before proceeding, it is important to note that the Windows Subsystem for Android is currently available in Insiders Preview only which means that it is currently in the beta phase. Therefore, there are going to be bugs with the environment and it may not always work flawlessly which is something you should keep in mind.

In addition to that, there is the issue of compatibility. The reason that you are able to run only selected apps through the Amazon Appstore itself right now is that those apps are probably highly optimized for Windows Subsystem for Android. This means that not all the apps that you try may work initially due to certain issues. However, having said that, since there is an underlying Android layer, you should be able to sideload most of the standard Android apps without facing any issues. Assuming that you have already installed Windows Subsystem for Android, let us get started and show you how to sideload Android apps:

1. To start off, you will need to download the APK file of the app that you wish to sideload. There are different ways you can get the APK file, for example, in the case of an application that is driven by a community, you will be able to find it on forums. Alternatively, there are third-party websites available as well that host the APK files such as APK Mirror and more.
2. Once you have downloaded the APK file, go ahead and open up the Windows Subsystem for Android settings window by searching for it in the Start Menu.
3. In the Settings window, go ahead and enable Developer mode by clicking the slider provided.
4. In addition to that, make sure that an IP address is provided under the IP address option. In case it says Unavailable, click on the Refresh button next to it.
5. Once you have done that, the Android layer can now be accessed through the IP address provided or via your localhost (127.0.0.1).
6. At this point, we will be using the Android Debugging Bridge to install the application.
7. Before that, go ahead and rename your download APK file to something easier and then move it to the platform-tools folder that you extracted earlier.
8. After doing that, open up a Command Prompt window by searching for it in the Start Menu. You can also use the Windows Terminal if you wish to.
9. Then, in the command prompt window, you will have to navigate to the platform-tools folder. If you followed our instructions earlier and extracted the folder to the C: drive, you can use the following command to navigate to it. Otherwise, you will have to edit the path as per your respective case:

   cd C:platform-tools

   

10. Once you are inside the platform-tools folder, type in the following command to connect to the Android layer:

    adb connect <IP Address>

    

11. Make sure to replace the <IP Address> in the above command with the IP address that is shown in the Windows Subsystem for Android Settings window. Thus, it should look something like this:

    adb connect 172.17.111.191

12. After you have connected to the Android layer, type in the following command to install the downloaded APK file using ADB:

    adb install <filename>.apk

    

13. Here, you need to make sure that the APK file is in the platform-tools folder. In addition to that, replace <filename> with the name of the APK file.
14. Once you have done that, the app should now be installed on your computer.
15. You can open up the app by searching for it in the Start Menu.
16. That’s it, you have successfully sideloaded an Android application on Windows 11.

Now, in case you are wondering how to uninstall an Android application that you have installed using this method, you can do so by simply searching for the application in the Start Menu. Then, right click on the result shown and from the drop down menu, click the Uninstall option. That should take care of uninstalling the app from your computer.

Let’s look at how to use Windows Subsystem for Android and Android Debugging Bridge (ADB) to install any standard Android app package (APK) in Windows 11. This guide will cover the complete process to help you run any Android app in Windows 11.

Microsoft is partnering with Amazon to implement the integration of the Amazon AppStore with the Microsoft Store. This means you can’t officially access the vast library of apps on the Google Play store. At the moment, not even all applications from the Amazon AppStore are available for testing. Insiders can only test Microsoft and Amazon’s approved 50 selected apps.

Fortunately, Microsoft immediately enabled debugging of the Windows Subsystem for Android. As a result, you can access and debug the Android virtual layer on the Windows 11 host system using the Android Debugging Bridge (ADB) tool. You can use ADB to install any standard Android app package (APK), including uploading to the subsystem of applications that are not available in the Amazon AppStore.

How to Install any Android App in Windows 11

Part 1: Install Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11

The Windows subsystem for Android is in beta testing. Applications approved by Microsoft and Amazon were likely further optimized for the subsystem, so they secured their places in the first batch. There is no guarantee that other applications will work correctly right away. The only way to test compatibility in practice is to run the application in the Windows Subsystem for Android.

Step 1: Enable Virtualization in Windows 11

Here is a complete guide that you can use: How to Enable Virtualization in Windows 11? Easy Guide – TechRechard

Step 2: Enable Virtual Machine Platform

Press Win+R and enter optionalfeatures and press Enter.

In the Windows Features window, enable “Virtual Machine Platform,” “Windows Hypervisor Platform,” and “Hyper-V.” Once completed, kindly restart your PC.

Step 3: Install Windows Subsystem for Android from Microsoft Store or Archive.

If you are from the U.S., you can use this direct link. Or, follow the steps below.

The first thing to do is download the latest MSIX package for Windows Subsystem for Android (Android 12.1) from the link here. Open the link and choose “ProductID” in the left drop-down menu. After that, paste 9P3395VX91NR in the text field and keep “RP” as it is. Now, click on the “Done” button on the right.

Scroll down below and download file named: MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_2204.40000.20.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle

Now, open Powershell as administrator.

Copy the path of the msibundle file you just downloaded.

On Powershell, type:

Add-AppxPackage -Path filepath

Part 2: Install any Android App in Windows 11

To download any Android app to Windows 11 for Android, follow these steps:

• Download the APK file of your desired application or game from a trusted source.
  • Projects supported by the community are available in third-party forums (XDA etc.).
  • Open source application APKs are often found on GitHub repositories or on third-party sites such as F-Droid.
  • Finally, there are third-party resources with APKs, such as the Mirror APK and APKPure.
• Once you have obtained the APK file, start the Windows Subsystem environment for Android. Go to the Start menu > All Apps > Windows Subsystem for Android.

• Subsystem settings will open. You need to activate the Developer Mode switch.

• Since the Android environment runs next to the kernel of the Windows host system, we can access it through the localhost interface (127.0.0.1). The Android layer also communicates with a random IP from the private network 172.30.0.0/24, which is visible under the IP address.
  • If you cannot see the IP address in the form 172.30.x.x, click on the Files option at the top of the Settings screen to go to the subsystem file system in the built-in Explorer. Then click the Refresh button next to the IP address option to get the IP address. Now you can copy it at the touch of a button.

• Now we can connect using ADB from the Windows 11 host system. To establish a connection, you can use localhost (127.0.0.1) with port 58526 or the IP address shown in the settings window.
• Configure ADB:
  • Open the ADB Installer website and download platform-tools for Windows under ADB and fastboot.

• Unpack the downloaded archive and move the platform-tools folder to a convenient location. In our example, this will be C:platform-tools

• Open a new Windows terminal window and navigate to the ADB location:

cd C:platform-tools

• Next, type one of the following commands:

adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526

or

adb connect IP-address

(Replace the IP address with your IP address from the previous step.)

• Now you can install our APK via ADB. The command should be as follows:

adb install "spark.apk"

• In our example, we downloaded the Spark email client apk file on the Apk Mirror website.
• If it goes correctly, the shortcut to the Android app will be created in the Start menu. Tap the shortcut to launch the app.

• If you can’t find the Shortcut to the Android app, you can manually launch it using the following command:

%LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsAppsMicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbweWsaClient.exe /launch wsa://<PACKAGENAME>

• For example, to run the Spark application, type the following in the Run on Windows window:

%LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsAppsMicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbweWsaClient.exe /launch wsa://com.readdle.spark

• You can also call the application directly from the ADB Shell window:

adb shell monkey -p <PACKAGENAME> 1

• To run a Spark application, the command must be:

adb shell monkey -p com.readdle.spark 1

You’re done!

Conclusion:

I hope this guide on How to run any Android app in Windows 11 was easy. If you face any issues, please comment below.

Also, note that unofficial applications will have access to the network. Thus, you can install and use popular mobile browsers inside the Windows subsystem for Android, such as Firefox. Browsers can be used to download other applications. Windows 11 also allows you to apply firewall rules to Android apps. Although you can install an app that depends on Google Apps, it won’t start because it doesn’t exist. As a workaround, you can use microG.

Windows 11 is out there and it is blowing many users’ minds with its new looks. It does not offer lots of new features, but some of them are impressive. One of the frequently discussed Windows 11 features is the support of Android apps natively. Yes with Windows 11 it is possible to sideload Android apps natively without any third-party application. But of course, there is a catch. Windows 11 supported android apps are only available on the Amazon app store. If you are looking for another process to custom sideload android apps on Windows 11, then you should go through this article in full.

But before you jump into the process, remember that loading Android apps on Windows 11 is not as easy as loading the same on an Android device. To sideload Android apps on Windows 11, you need to use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and you also have to run some commands in the terminal.

Get Windows 11 22000.xxx Build

Before you start the main process, you need to be sure whether your PC has Amazon Appstore configured and running or not. If yes, then you can skip this section and go to the next one. Also, if you are using the Amazon Appstore already, and you just need more apps that are not present in the library, then you can also skip this step and go to the next one.

You have to make sure you are using Windows Insider Beta Channel, build 22000.282, or a higher version. If you want to know how to switch to Windows Insider Beta Channel just follow the process below.

Step 1: Press Windows+i to open the Settings app

Step 2: In the Settings menu, select “Windows Update” from the left sidebar

Step 3: In the Windows Update window, click on the “Windows Insider Program”

Step 4: Inside the “Windows Insider Program” settings, click on “Choose your Insider Settings”

Step 5: In the dropdown menu check the button “Beta Channel (Recommended)” to select it

Step 6: Close the settings app directly and your selection would be saved automatically.

Remember one thing, the Beta Channel is not as stable as the DEv channel, so, your PC may perform a little weirdly, and you may encounter bugs & glitches.

Now another prerequisite is to enable the virtualization mode of your PC. You might know that Windows 11 runs Android in a virtual machine setup, which is why enabling virtualization is so needed. To check if it is enabled or not, just press the Ctrl+Shift+Del to open Task Manager and go to the Performance Tab, and check it as shown in the image below.

If the virtualization is disabled then you need to enable it from your PC’s UEFI firmware (Formerly BIOS). If you want to learn how to enable virtualization on your UEFI firmware then follow the process below.

• Restart your pc, and start pressing the del button.
• Once the UEFI is opened, locate the Intel VT-X on the menu, if you are using Intel CPU.
• If you are an AMD CPU user, locate and enable the AMD-V in the UEFI firmware.
• Then press F10 to save and exit, and let the PC start again.
• Then check again in the Task Manager, if the Virtualization is enabled now or not.

Now you are ready to go, but you should double-check everything before preceding further to avoid any complications later.

Enable Virtual Machine Platform

• In the Windows Search box
• Type- Turn Windows Features on or off, when it appears click on it to access the same.
• Select the “Virtual Machine Platform” box and hit the OK button.
• Now, Restart your system.

Download Windows Subsystem for Android

There are two ways for getting “Windows Subsystem for Android” one is via Microsoft Store and another using  Adguard.net’s Store app downloader.

Ist Method:

The users who are living in the U.S while writing this tutorial will only be able to download the Windows Subsystem for Android from the Microsoft Store. Click on the link and hit the Install button this will ask you to open Windows 11 Microsoft Store to download and install Subsystem for Android.  Note: Your system must have at least 8GB of RAM to install this platform.

Note: Well, those who are not in the USA and still want to try out Windows Subsystem for Android with Amazon Appstore then change your Windows 11 Default location, first.

2nd Method:

Step 1: Go to  Adguard.net‘s Store app downloader.

Step 2: In the Search Box, enter the following: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-subsystem-for-android/9p3395vx91nr

Step 3: In the search result, go to the end of the list, right-click on the xxxxx..msixbundle file name, and select “Save link as…” to download the file on your system.

Step 4: Right-click on the Windows 11 Start button and run Windows Terminal (Admin).

Switch to the directory where you have saved the downloaded file.

Add-AppxPackage path-to-the-downloaded-file

Example:

Add-AppxPackage .MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_1.8.32822.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.Msixbundle

Configuring ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on Windows 11

Now you have to understand and configure the ADB to proceed. Without the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) the Android filesystem can not talk to the Windows file system. In simple words, there is no way of getting APK files into the Android filesystem without the ADB (Android Debug Bridge). If you want to learn how to set up ABD (Android Debug Bridge) in Windows 11 follow the process outlined below.

The above method is described for Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. But ADB is a universal program that can be used on Linux, macOS, and Android platforms also. Once you have set up the ADB in your Windows 11 system along with the Virtualization enabled and switched to Windows Insider Beta Channel, you are all set to install Android APK files from third-party sources like APKMirror.com

How to Sideload Android Apps on Windows 11

Step 1: Now open the “Windows Subsystem for Android” from the Start Menu. Tap the Search icon and type “Windows Subsystem for Android”, you will find the icon easily.

Step 2: From the Windows Subsystem for Android, switch on the “Developer Mode”.

Step 3: Now you have to find the IP address of the Android instance.

Step 4: Now click on the “Refresh” button beside “IP Address”. After that click on the “Copy” button. Don’t close the app immediately once done.

Step 5: After getting the Ip-address, sign in to the Amazon App store that will automatically get installed after installing the Window subsystem for Android. Go to the Search box of Windows 11 and search for Amazon Appstore. Once its icon appears, click to run.

Step 4: Sign in to your Amazon account. If you don’t have one then create the one.

Use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and begin Android App sideloading.

Step 1: Launch “Command Prompt” from the Start Menu. Or you right-click on the Windows 11 start button, then select “Windows Terminal”.

Step 2: Then connect to the Android instance. To that enter the command with the IP address flashing on the “Subsystem for Android Settings” that we asked to copy. The command is “ADB connect [IP address]”

Step 3: Now you have to browse the internet for trusted APK files that you can download and install. APKMirror.com is one of the most well-known and trusted APK file repositories. You have to download the APK files only, not the app bundle, so pay attention while downloading. Also remember where you downloaded the file, as it would be needed later. Here we are downloading an APK of an Android App called MX Player from Apkmirror.com.

Step 4: Once you have the APK file on your Windows 11 that you want to install. Go to Windows Terminal or Command prompt and type adb install path-to-your-andriod.apk

If everything goes perfectly, you’ll get a “Success” message and the app will be available in the Start Menu automatically.

Step 5: In a few seconds the Android App Apk will be installed on your Windows 11 system and get integrated into the App launcher.

The same process is to be repeated for each app that you can not find in the Amazon Appstore. In many cases, Google Apps do not work properly if sideloaded on Windows PC, as those apps require additional services and inputs, which are only available with a phone or tab. But for most of the apps, the above method is a foolproof and tested method for sideloading android apps on Windows PC.

Here’s how to install android apps on Windows 11 and run them with ease. Follow the step-by-step guide for precision. 

Microsoft recently rolled out the latest Windows 11 for the users. You can now download Windows 11 or update to the latest version of the operating system. As you may already know, the brand decided to introduce an option to run Android apps on Windows 11, without the help of an emulator.

This feature will ease up your work to a great extent and provide feasibility. The present version of Windows 11 does not include this feature and is soon to be rolled out in the upcoming ones. However, if you are a Windows Insider, you can use the beta test to run android APK on Windows 11.

The number of apps you can install on Windows 11 Beta is limited to 50 for now. This number will gradually increase with every update. All this is possible with the help of the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) with Amazon Appstore and Android Debugging Bridge. These utilities will help you install android apps on PC and run them with ease.

So, to help you further, we are providing this step-by-step guide to answer how to install android apps in Windows 11. If you are a beta test subject, you can take the help of these methods to run the apps on your system for free.

But before we go over the methods, let’s have a look at the minimum system requirements to run the apps.

Minimum System Requirements to Run Apps on Windows 11

Here are the basic system requirements necessary to run Android apps on Windows 11.

• Memory- 8GB or Higher
• Processor- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c, AMD Ryzen 3000, Intel Core i3 8th Gen, or Higher.
  Before you install android on PC you can check the Memory and Processor specifications on Windows 11 with the help of the following steps: Click on Start, Open Settings, then select the System subhead and click on About.
  
  
• Storage- Solid State Drive (SSD)
  Follow these instructions to check whether you have an SSD or not: Click on Start, Open Settings, then select the System subhead, click on Storage, expand Advanced storage settings to find Disk and Volumes, and see the disk type.
  
• MS Store- Version 22110.1402.6.0 or higher
  For the ease of running android apps on PC, follow these instructions to get the latest version of the Microsoft Store: Open MS Store, click on Library, and select Get Updates.
  
• Windows 11 OS– Beta Required
  Follow these steps to join the Windows 11 Beta program. Navigate to Windows 11 Settings, click on Windows Update, select Windows Insider, click on Get Started, Link an Account, and follow the instructions to join the program. After that turn on the Beta Channel (you can also try Dev Channel).
  
• Minimum OS Build- 22000.282 or higher
  If you are wondering how to install android apps, then you need an updated OS to proceed. Search for “winver” and check whether your system has at least Build 22000.282 or not. If not, go to the Windows Settings, click on Windows Update, and refresh the page for system updates. Click on the update button to update Windows 11 to its latest version.
  
• Virtualization- Enabled
  Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys, switch over to the Performance subtab and check if the Virtualization is Enabled. If disabled, click on Start, type Turn Windows features on or off, check the Virtual Machine Platform option, and press Ok. Restart the system to run Android APK on Windows 11.
  

If your system meets all these requirements, proceed further with the installation.

Also Read: How to Install Apple Music on Windows 11 PC – Step by Step Guide

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Step By Step Procedure to Install Android Apps on Windows 11 PC

If you are wondering how to install android apps on Windows 11 then follow the easy steps provided below and get the job done perfectly.

1. Download and Install Android on PC with Amazon Appstore

As you may already know, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 will support Android apps on PC through the Amazon Appstore. Hence, you can use the same to install the apps on your system. Here’s how:

1. Launch the Microsoft Store from the Start menu.
   
2. Search for Amazon Appstore and click on install.
   
3. Follow the on-screen instructions and Download WSA. (Check the boxes required after reading the Terms and Conditions)
   
4. Once downloaded, Set Up an account with Amazon Appstore. (Log in to your existing Appstore account if required.)
   
5. Launch Amazon Appstore, select the app you like, click on Get and download the app. (Check the box of acceptance if any warning appears.)
   
6. Once the app is installed, go to the Start menu or the Appstore to launch it.

With the help of these easy steps, you can get running Android apps on PC quite easily. If you want to install some Android APK on Windows 11, then take the help of the next solution.

Also Read: Windows 11 PC Health Check App is Now Available for Everyone

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2. How to run APK on Windows 11 through Android Debugging Bridge?

If you want to run android APK on Windows 11, then you need to take the help of Android Debugging Bridge. Below are the easy steps to download the SDK platform tool for Windows and use it to install APKs on your PC:

1. Visit the Android developer website.
2. Download the SDK Platform-Tools for Windows from the website.
   
3. Scroll down Terms and Conditions, check the box named I have read and agree with the above terms and conditions, and select Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows.
   
   
4. Extract the downloaded file to any location.
5. Once the extraction is complete, open the folder, copy the path, and paste it elsewhere (Ex. Notes or MS Word).
   
6. Now download the required APK for any app you want from trusted sources. (keep the APK in the SDK folder)
7. Click on Start, search for Windows Subsystem for Android, and press Enter.
   
8. Toggle on the Developer Mode.
   
9. Now Copy the IP Address and paste it elsewhere (Ex. Notes or MS Word).
   
10. Click on Start, search for cmd, and click on Run as administrator.
    
11. In Command Prompt, type these commands followed by the Enter key.
    Paste the path you copied, ex.C:UsersyourusernameDownloadsplatform-tools_r31.0.3-windowsplatform-toolsNow type the IP address followed by the command ex.adb connect 191.87.544.544Now type the apk file you want to install, ex.adb install <APK Path>
    
    
12. Once the app is installed, run it like any other app from the Start menu.

So this is how you can use the Android Debugging Bridge to install and open Android apps on PC very easily. You can follow this process to download and install all kinds of gaming and program APKs on the system.

Also Read: How To Fix Internal Microphone is Missing Error on Windows 11 & Older Versions

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Successfully Answered How to Install Android Apps on Windows 11

These were some of the easy steps that can help you ascertain how to install Android apps on Windows 11. We have listed two methods to run Android apps on your PC with ease. These are through Amazon Appstore and Android Debugging Bridge. You can take the help of any method as suited.

We recommend that you use the Amazon Appstore to install Android apps on PC if you do not want to apply much effort. You will find all of the major apps on the Appstore to download.

However, if you wish to run android APK on Windows 11, then suggest you use the Android Debugging Bridge. Amazon Appstore is an effective method but does not provide an opportunity to install any PK you want on the system. With the help of SDK Platform-Tools for Windows, you can install the desired app or game on your Windows PC and use it as an Android Device.

If you have any questions related to how to use Google Play apps on Windows 11, then write to us in the comments. For more interesting tech blogs and solutions, subscribe to the newsletter from the Techpout Blog and stay updated.