One Of The Most Important Changes In Windows 11 Is The Ability To Run Android Applications On The Windows Operating System.
Intel Bridge Technology, According to Microsoft, Windows 11 can run Android apps directly and allow users to download them from the new Windows Store.
Of course, it was possible to run Android applications on Windows before, but it seems that the way they run in Windows 11 is changing.
In Windows 11, Microsoft intends to make the most of the capabilities of Intel Bridge technology.
Traditionally, users of the Microsoft ecosystem use emulators such as NoxPlayer, Bluestacks, and the like to run Android applications. Android emulators run virtual versions of the Android operating system on users’ Windows PCs, allowing them to run Android applications within the emulator in a limited way.
Of course, the capabilities of emulators are limited, and to run them, the user must disable some hardware features of the system for the emulator to run on Windows.
However, with the introduction of Windows 11, Microsoft has developed a solution that allows Android applications to run natively on Windows, just as it did in the past with Linux. Some users believe that Microsoft’s new solution is similar to Apple’s Rosetta 1 and 2 solutions.
How do Android apps run on Windows 11?
Shortly after the official unveiling of Windows 11, in a separate event for developers of the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft gave more details on how to run Android applications on Windows. A report published by the Ares Technica website shows that Microsoft’s Windows 11 is called the Windows Subsystem for Android.
It is not bad to know that with the release of Windows 10, Microsoft unveiled a similar feature called Windows Subsystem for Linux, which uses the hardware and software features of Hyper-V to run Linux software on the actual Linux kernel in the Windows environment. he does.
The Hyper-V feature allows another operating system in the heart of Windows to access the underlying hardware layers without intermediaries and the need for Windows intervention.
Compared to running the operating system on another system (via emulator or virtualizer), the above solution makes system resources less used and more efficient.
Because the Android operating system uses the Linux kernel, as a result, Microsoft has designed only one Android framework on WSL to build the Windows subsystem for Android.
Therefore, Android x86 applications will likely run directly on Windows 11 via Hyper-V, without an additional layer or emulator.
One of the common points between Windows and Android is running both operating systems on x86 and ARM infrastructure. Of course, Windows runs better on the x86 architecture and Android on the ARM architecture; however, most Android apps are built for both the ARM and x86 versions. For this reason, if you run Android x86 apps on a Windows x86 PC, the app will run natively without an emulator.
Similarly, if you run the ARM version of an Android app on a Windows device based on an ARM processor, the Android app runs natively, except that you run the Android app on a surface and in practice use a piece of hardware to run it.
You use two different architectures. The question now is, what happens in this case if the Android app does not have an x86 version? This is exactly where Intel’s unique technology helps Microsoft.
What is Intel Bridge technology, and how does it work?
Intel Bridge is a unique technology that enables the native running of Android applications on Windows 11. At the same time as the official unveiling of Windows 11, Intel gave a brief overview of working with Microsoft and accessing some specific bridge technology code.
An interface bridge, or more accurately, a translator that translates a set of logo architectural instructions in a way that x86 processors can understand.
To be more precise, Intel Bridge is a runtime post-compiler that allows Android applications to run on the x86 architecture. Of course, bridge technology has a wider range of applications, and only part of the XPU (XPU) strategy refers to any computational architecture that fits the application’s needs.
Today’s applications require a combination of hardware architecture, new programming languages, libraries, and learning tools. ) Is Intel and is not going to be limited to running Android apps and the x86 platform.
Just as in the real world, international conferences require a live translator, and the translator translates the speaker’s speech with a short delay. There is a slight time lag in converting the hardware architecture instructions into executable instructions for architecture. For this reason, you should not expect the logo version of Android apps to run smoothly on Windows, just like native Windows apps.
Intel notes in a report on Tom’s Hardware website that it is important to enabling Android applications to run on all x86-based platforms. Therefore, Intel Bridge is designed to support all x86 devices, including those manufactured by the company.
However, Intel’s built-in infrastructure provides a better experience, and for this reason, running Windows 11 on Intel 10 and 11 series processors is the best choice. Intel has announced in a news release that it has certified more than 80 laptops running Windows 11 as of writing (July 1400). These devices use Intel Core 10th and 11th generation processors and will likely be launched in late 2021.
How do Android apps run on Windows 11?
The performance of Android applications will be similar to native Windows software. More precisely, the user will have access to them through the start menu and will be able to pin them to the taskbar.
Running Android apps will have an icon in the taskbar, and their windows can be resized and minimized, such as Windows software. In addition, the new and improved Windows 11 Snap feature is fully compatible with Android applications.
How to access Android apps in Windows 11?
As mentioned, Android apps can be found and installed directly from the Microsoft Store app. Android apps in the Microsoft Store are also officially available through the Amazon Store, so you must have an Amazon account in addition to having a Microsoft account to install them. Also, keep in mind that not all apps in the Google Play Store are in the Amazon Store app, although access to popular apps is easy.
Note, however, that installing Android apps through the Windows Store may be a bit complicated. Still, Microsoft says you’ll only go to the Amazon registration page once to install the first Android app.
After that, downloading and installing Android apps is the same as Windows apps. All the processes related to downloading apps from Amazon are done in the background without user intervention.
The new Windows 11 Store With Microsoft’s new policies, it no longer requires developers to design their applications on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) so that in the future, developers can release traditional Windows (Win32) and APK applications ready for release through Windows. . As a result, the publishing process is the same for both groups of programs.
Windows 11 Store with Android apps
One of the biggest benefits of Windows 11 for developers is the cash management mechanism. This allows developers to manage their own hosting and in-app payment methods. Android app vendors are not limited to the Amazon Store, and Google Play, and Samsung Galaxy Store, and even non-Android stores such as Steam and Epic are set to be added to the collection.
As pointed out by Miguel Icaza, a senior Microsoft engineer, there is the ability to install APK (Android installation files) directly and out of the store (Sideload) on Windows 11.
Theoretically, installing Android apps on Windows 11 is as simple as installing Windows executables (EXE and MSI), and users are not limited to apps in a particular store.
Do Android apps run on Windows 11 in a limited way?
It is unclear whether Android apps on Windows 11 will offer users all of their features, such as notifications, sync, or other features available on Android phones or tablets. Note, however, that most of the capabilities of Android applications depend on Google Mobile Services.
Although Android is an open-source operating system, most Android applications owe their proper functioning to GMS application programming interfaces. Of course, the implementation of some programs produced by certain manufacturers may be limited. For example, it may not be possible to run Huawei-made Android apps as easily as other Android apps.
However, one thing is clear. Applications that use GMS may not work smoothly on Windows 11 when it is downloaded.
Additionally, apps and games whose data is synced via Google Drive will not access this feature on Windows. Since the Amazon Store app does not use GMS, you may have problems installing the Android app through the Amazon Store. Amazon has been building application programming interfaces for years to replace GMS to run flawless Android applications.
Indeed, the Amazon Store app is not as big as Google Play, and some of the apps in it are not up to date, but most of the great apps like Instagram and Tic Tac are there. Amazon has been building application programming interfaces for years to replace GMS to run flawless Android applications.
Indeed, the Amazon Store app is not as big as Google Play, and some of the apps in it are not up to date, but most of the great apps like Instagram and Tic Tac are there. Amazon has been building application programming interfaces for years to replace GMS to run flawless Android applications.
Indeed, the Amazon Store app is not as big as Google Play, and some of the apps in it are not up to date, but most of the great apps like Instagram and Tic Tac are there.