Microsoft Announces End of Support for Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) in 2025
Microsoft has announced that the Windows Subsystem for Android, which enables native Android app execution on Windows 11, will cease support on March 5, 2025, ending the Amazon Appstore and related Android application compatibility on Windows devices.
In the latest update to the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) documentation, Microsoft announced a significant change: support for WSA will be terminated.
Microsoft will end support for the Android™️ Windows Subsystem (WSA) effective March 5, 2025. After this date, the Amazon Appstore and all applications or games that rely on WSA will no longer receive support, although technical assistance will continue until then.
Customers who installed the Amazon Appstore or Android applications before March 5, 2024, will retain access to those apps until the deprecation date in 2025.
WSA was introduced in Windows 11 in 2021 as a new subsystem named Windows Subsystem for Android, allowing native execution of Android apps using Intel Bridge technology on x86 devices.
The subsystem includes a Linux kernel and an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) 11 based OS, running inside a Hyper‑V virtual machine. It maps Android runtime and APIs to the Windows graphics layer, memory buffers, input methods, devices, and sensors, supporting Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm CPUs and allowing direct APK installation via ADB.
Because Microsoft partnered with Amazon, Android apps can only be installed through the Amazon Appstore, not the Google Play Store, and most supported apps are games. The experience has been criticized due to limited app sources and subpar performance.
Overall, Microsoft’s decision reflects diminishing demand for this functionality as users rely more on mobile devices, and the WSA experience has not met expectations.
Related link: Microsoft WSA Release Notes
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