It was just a matter of time until someone figured it out. You can now install Android apps from the Play Store on Windows 11, but not officially. Instead, a person using the ADeltaX handle on Twitter crafted a procedure to get around the original Windows Subsystem for Android to install the Google Play Store app, giving you access to the entire catalog of Android apps. Although this is a welcome discovery, since the process isn’t supported, it’s unclear how it will affect future updates. In other words, this workaround may only be a temporary fix because it is still not clear what will happen after WSA receives an update through the Microsoft Store. Probably, anyone using this approach will have to redo the entire process. Of course, that’s unless you disable automatic app updates through the Microsoft Store. In this video tutorial, we will demonstrate the process of installing the Google Play Store app on WSA to install Android apps on a Windows 11 machine.
Install Google Play Store on Windows 11
The Google Play Store installation process on the Windows Subsystem for Android to run Android apps on Windows 11 requires several steps, including downloading third-party tools, installing WSL, and running various commands using different tools. Before processing, it’s important to uninstall any previous installation of the Windows Subsystem for Android. Otherwise, the instructions below won’t work.
Step one: Create setup folders
The process will require four working folders in the root of the drive where Windows 11 is installed. To create the WSA working folders, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the necessary folders will be created, and you can continue downloading and setting up the working environment.
Step two: Download and install required tools
To modify the original Windows Subsystem for Android to run the Google Play Store will require a few tools, including the original WSA package, the Open GApps tools, WSAGAScript scripts, ADB tools, and 7-zip. You will also need to install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and enable Developer mode on Windows 11. To download the required tools, use these steps:
Install 7Zip on Windows 11
To install the 7-zip file manager app, use these steps:
Install Windows Subsystem for Linux
To install WSL on Windows 11, use these steps:
Enable Windows 11 Developer mode
To enable Developer mode on Windows 11, use these steps: After you complete all the above steps, you will have all the components to install the Play Store on the Android subsystem for Windows 11.
Step three: Configure working environment
To configure the working environment to create a custom version of WSA, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, you will have all the components in place to install the Google Play Store app.
Step four: Install WSA with the Google Play Store app
To install the Android subsystem with the Google Play Store app on Windows 11, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, you can start and sign in to the Google Play Store to download and install Android apps on Windows 11. If you want to prevent future updates for the Windows Subsystem for Android resetting this process, you may want to disable automatic updates for apps in the Microsoft Store > Profile menu > App settings and turn off the App updates toggle switch. If you want to update other apps, you need to update them manually through Microsoft Store > Library. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
