Microsoft’s Windows 11 could run Android apps from Google’s Play Store in the future – if Google wants it

Android users might see their favorite apps from Google’s Play Store in Windows 11 because “all stores [and] all apps are welcome on Microsoft Store,” said Product Manager for Windows Panos Panay The Independent.

Microsoft launched its new operating system this week, bringing with it a new user interface and start menu, better integration with Xbox games, and other features. One of the more notable additions was the inclusion of some Android apps through Amazon’s AppStore, using Intel Bridge technology to integrate them into the PC’s operating system.

Amazon’s AppStore, which is used on products like its Fire tablets, is built on the open-source version of Android and as such doesn’t have access to services like Gmail or Google Maps. .

“I would love any apps on Windows, no doubt,” Panay said. The Independent, when asked about the decision to partner with Amazon and whether the company would have preferred to use the Google Play Store, “but right now we’re talking about Amazon. Ultimately, they are a partner and we have come together to bring the right apps to our customers today. »

Mr. Panay continued: “All stores [and] all apps are welcome on the Microsoft Store… that was the point. Windows is open… the Store is open”.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed similar views in an interview with The edgesaying that the Amazon AppStore is “a good starting point for us, and I hope more developers even consider Amazon Appstore as a way to reach more users…if it works, I hope even Google will take a look at it. If they think it’s a way to increase Android app usage, we’ll welcome any other app store.

“And, of course, there are parts of the world where there are already many substitutes for the Android App Store, which [are] even bigger than the Google App Store. And so we’ll also see what happens in that dynamic.”

Android apps on desktop PCs previously originated from the Your Phone app, which also allows users to quickly send messages and share images between Android devices and computers running the Windows operating system.

“With apps on your phone, you can instantly access Android apps installed on your mobile device right on your PC,” Windows wrote in a blog post when the feature was introduced. “Using a Wi-Fi connection, Apps lets you browse, game, order, chat and more, all while using your PC’s larger screen and keyboard. You can bookmark your Android apps on your PC, pin them to your Start menu and taskbar, and open them in separate windows to use them side-by-side with apps on your PC.

Google’s Chromebooks also allow users to install and use Android apps, and have done so since 2014 – with access to all supported Google Play Store apps from 2016. It’s unclear, however, if Google would offer this functionality to Microsoft; the search giant did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent before the time of publication.