Pieces slowly seem to be aligning for the Windows Subsystem for Android feature in Windows 11. The feature itself was delayed during development of the OS, but looks like it is almost ready for action now.
That’s because Microsoft has just published guidance for developers about how they can optimize their Android applications for Windows.
You can take a look at the detailed documentation over at the official website.
Good old WalkingCat, the famed Microsoft leaker, was the first to spot it.
The software titan notes that Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) will be silently installed in the background as soon as someone installs the Android App Store or an Android app from the Microsoft Store for the first time.
A dedicated settings app will be available to toggle hardware-accelerated graphics, the behavior of the subsystem to be ephemeral or persistent, as well as developer mode, and all that jazz.
In addition to this, Redmond also provides guidance to developers about how they can update their app code to respond to keyboard and mouse inputs. Additionally, the company has outlined debugging and window resizing details.
WSA utilizes a virtual machine (VM) configuration that provides interoperability with the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) framework and other input devices.
Microsoft also details the security aspects of this feature in the documentation, while confirming that Android apps will run on WSA via ARM emulation. This is something that will have a performance impact on systems, which is why the firm recommends optimizing apps for the x86-64 architecture.
Interestingly, only a limited set of apps curated by Microsoft and Amazon will be available in the Amazon App Store. All signs point to this list expanding with time.
