Microsoft doesn’t appear to be resting on its laurels when it comes to the system that allows Windows 11 to run Android apps: the firm unveiled an update on Friday that updates the version of Android running on your computer and helps make the apps feel more at home running on a PC. The Windows Subsystem for Android upgrade is now only accessible for Windows Insiders to test, which is probably a good thing for reasons we’ll discuss shortly.
The most notable enhancement is a new version of Android that underpins Windows’ ability to run mobile apps. The current public release appears to be based on Android 11 (based on some probing with developer tools), while the version that Microsoft is evaluating is based on Android 12.1, dubbed Android 12L. That effectively means that, unless you have a current Pixel, your computer may be running a newer version of Android than your phone.
The update also improves how Android apps interact with Windows. App pop-up messages may now appear as Windows notifications, and the taskbar will show whether an Android app is accessing your microphone or location. According to the business, Android apps should behave better after you wake your computer from standby. Instead of restarting, they should simply pick up where they left off.
Microsoft also claims to have fully overhauled the settings app used to administer the Windows Subsystem for Android, grouping settings and delivering an “all-around cleaner user experience.” It’s also improved how Android apps can use your computer’s camera and networking capabilities, allowing you to set up smart home gadgets using an Android app running on your computer.
While these all sound like significant enhancements, you may want to postpone using the function for the time being. For starters, it’s currently being rolled out to the Dev channel, the most advanced of the Windows Insider rings. (This means you’re more likely to encounter issues and crashes when you’re not running Android apps.) Microsoft warns that upgrading to Android 12.1 “may cause some apps to fail to launch.” Perhaps this isn’t surprising given how difficult the Android 12 phone rollout has been. According to the corporation, it is working with partners “to fix these concerns as soon as feasible,” so perhaps it will be resolved before it reaches consumers.
Even if the upgrade isn’t quite finished, it’s encouraging to see Microsoft putting some effort into the Android apps on Windows feature. It could have easily promoted it as something amazing coming with Windows 11, released it, and declared the project to be nearly complete. The fact that we’re seeing significant updates to it, on the other hand, suggests that Microsoft is committed to the feature for the time being. If it truly wants to provide a first-class experience, it will need to devise a lot easier way to download programs from the Google Play Store rather than the significantly more limited collection of the Amazon Appstore.
