How to install Android APKs on Windows 11
When using a Windows-based laptop or desktop PC, you can manage most of your workflow through web apps from your favorite services. Web apps may not always be as feature-filled as the ones from your smartphone, but you don’t have to use the Microsoft Store to download Windows apps. Regarding Windows 11, you can download and installAndroid smartphoneapps onto your device. You’ll have the same app experience from your phone but on your Windows-based PC, easily accessible from your Start menu or taskbar.
There are two ways to install Android apps on yourWindows PC. One is simple, and the other requires a little work. The easy route isn’t necessarily the best choice. Microsoft partnered with Amazon to bring its app store to Windows, but you won’t have access toGoogle Play Store. Amazon Appstore may be suitable, but it has limited app availability. If you’re looking for something that allows you to install any app you want, sideloading Android apps on your Windows PC is the way to go.
Sideloading your favorite mobile apps on your Windows PC means you can bypass Amazon Appstore and Windows Store. You won’t rely on complicated or messy command line interfaces. Instead, you can install any app with a simple and easy-to-use GUI. WSA PacMan (short for Package Manager) allows you to turn any APK file into a double-click install. In the sections below, we show you how it works.
Install the Amazon Appstore to get access to Windows Subsystem
Because WSA PacMan is an interface designed to streamline sideloading, you’ll need to get the bones of Android support up and running on Windows 11. If you don’t have it, install the Amazon Appstore. It includes Windows Subsystem for Android.
You don’t need to log in to the Amazon Appstore. Installing it adds WSA to your device.
The Amazon Appstore is supported in many regions, including the US.Browse this list to see if your country is supported. If it isn’t, you’ll jump through a few hoops to get WSA up and running. It’s a complicated process, but we created aWindows 11 WSA installation guide, and Amazon Appstore isn’t required.
Get WSA PacMan up and running
With Windows Subsystem for Android ready to go on your PC, you’re one step closer to sideloading paradise. Here’s what you’ll do next:
Install APKs on Windows 11 with WSA PacMan
From here, you can close Windows Subsystem for Android and WSA PacMan. They don’t need to be open to install APKs on your computer. Now, all you need is an app to install.
Locate the APK file on your device in Explorer, or grab one from a site likeAPK Mirror, and double-click it like any other .exe file on Windows. WSA PacMan takes care of the rest, delivering a similar installation prompt to what you see on Android. When it’s installed, it’s possible to create a desktop shortcut for your app.
From here, the app functions like any other software on your computer. It can be accessed from the Start menu, pinned to your taskbar, and uninstalled with a right-click. Still, not every app is guaranteed to work. Streaming apps like Netflix, for example, will likely run into DRM-related issues, as Windows 11 lacks Winevine support.
Get ready to download your favorite Android apps and games
Although using the same Android apps you can get from your smartphone on your Windows PC is beneficial, it’s still early. We may never get official Google Play Store support on Windows, but you don’t have to use Amazon Appstore. Getting WSA PacMan installed requires a few simple steps, and it’s easy to use after you get past the initial setup. Then, you can sideload any ofour favorite mobile games, allowing you to play Android games on your PC in no time.
The note-taking app I should have used all along
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
Via the Phone Link app, of course
No more excuses
Your new browser chrome-panion
Get 14 ports for $170
