Microsoft announced last week that Windows 11 users would be able to install Android apps from the Amazon Appstore on their PCs. Now a Microsoft employee has said the operating system will be able to run sideloaded apps, too, in a bid to give Windows 11 users as many options as possible.
Android is an open operating system that allows its users to install apps, which are shipped as Android Package (APK) files, from a variety of sources. Platforms like the Amazon Appstore are somewhat popular, but many developers only release their apps to the Google Play Store. The fear was that Windows 11’s support of Android apps would be undermined by being limited to the Amazon Appstore because that platform lacks some of the most popular Android software.
Microsoft Distinguished Engineer Miguel de Icaza addressed those concerns on Twitter. Icaza simply responded “Yes” to one Twitter user asking if Windows 11 would run APKs obtained from outside the Amazon Appstore. Then, in response to another user who called the Amazon Appstore “the Diet Coke of App Stores,” he said “then bring your own APK.” The message was clear: Microsoft’s partnership with Amazon wouldn’t restrict Windows 11 to specific Android apps.
This approach should be familiar to Windows users. Microsoft has its own app distribution platform in the Microsoft Store, but that is by no means the only source of Windows software. People are free to install new programs via alternative marketplaces such as Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG; they can also just download an executable file straight from a developer’s website. The Microsoft Store is an option, but it’s not the only option.
