You can natively run Android apps on Windows 11 via Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA); however, it has its limitations. The new OS only natively supports Amazon’s Appstore and not Google Play Store. And while sideloading Android apps is an option, anything that requires Google Play Service will not work.
However, you can install Google Play Store on Windows 11 to overcome this limitation. Here we show you how.
How to Install Google Play Store on Windows 11
As discussed earlier, you can sideload and run Android apps on Windows 11. However, finding APKs and installing them via the Command Prompt is cumbersome. You also need to configure ADB to install Android apps.
You can install a fully functional Google Play Store to remedy this problem. Also, this allows you to run Google Play Service-dependent apps. This method is courtesy of ADeltaX Internal, which has uploaded a video explaining the process on YouTube.
However, it is a complicated process and involves downloading several small packages and then moving them around. Fortunately, a developer (Yujinchang08) on GitHub has simplified this process with a custom WSA installer.
The WSA installer consists of a modified WSA package with Magisk and Open GApps integration. Magisk is a root access utility wherein Open GApps offers up-to-date Google Apps packages.
For this guide, we will focus on the second method to install Google Play Store on Windows 11. So, let’s begin.
Note that this process requires installing third-party modified files and packages and involves potential risks. Before proceeding, create a restore point in Windows 11 or a recovery drive. These recovery options can help you undo the changes or repair the system if something goes wrong.
Step 1: Uninstall Android Subsystem for Android
If you have Windows Subsystem for Android installed, you can uninstall it from the Apps & features section.
To uninstall WSA:
- Press Win + I to open the Settings panel.
- Open the Apps tab in the left pane.
- Next, click on Apps & Features.
- Locate and click on Windows Subsystem for Android under App list.
- Click the three dots and select Uninstall. Click Uninstall again to confirm the action.
Step 2: Enable Developer Mode in Windows 11
Developer Mode allows you to sideload apps and access other developer features, including remote installation apps via SSH services.
To enable Developer Mode:
- Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
- Open the Privacy and Security tab in the left pane.
- In the right pane, click on For Developers.
- Toggle the switch for Developer Mode and set it to On. Click Yes to confirm the action.
Step 3: Enable Virtual Machine to Run Android Apps
You need to configure the Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform to run Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. Skip this step if you have installed WSA previously.
To configure the Virtual Machine:
- Press Win + S to open the search bar.
- Type Windows Features and then click on Turn Windows features on or off from the search results.
- In the Windows Features window, select Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform.
- Click OK to save the changes and Windows will install the selected features. Restart your PC to apply the changes.
If successful, you will see an update status message during restart.
Step 4: Download Integrated Windows Subsystem for Android Package
You can download the modified version of the WSA installer from a GitHub repository. Here’s how to do it.
- Visit the MagiskOnWSA repository and sign in with your GitHub account. Create a new account if you don’t have one already.
- Next, click on Fork on the top-right corner of your GitHub page. This may take a few seconds, so wait till you see the Forked from menu.
- Click on the Actions tab.
- If you see the Workflows aren’t being run on this forked repository prompt, then click I understand my workflows, go ahead and enable them.
- In the Actions tab, click on Build WSA or Magisk under All workflow.
- Click on Run workflow in the right pane.
- In the pop-up, a download link to the magisk APK will appear.
- Next, type pico under Variants of GApps. You can also choose other variants if you know what you are doing.
- Click the Run workflow button. You should see a status message Workflow run was successfully requested.
- This process may take a while to complete, usually around a few minutes. Once done, you will see a green checkmark indicating the task is complete.
- Click on the completed Build WSA or Magisk label.
- Scroll down to the Artifacts section. Here you should see the ARM and X64 version.
- Depending on your CPU version, click on the appropriate WSA with Magisk GApps link (ARM or X64). Depending on your Internet speed, it may take a while to download the package.
Step 5: Install Google Play Store on Windows 11
Once the download is complete, follow these steps to install Windows Subsystem for Android and Google Play Store
- Right-click on the downloaded zip folder (WSA-with-magisk-GApps-pico_1.8.32828.0_x64_Release-Nightly) and select Extract. Choose a location and extract the content.
- Open the WSA with Magic GApps folder.
- Inside the folder, locate the Install.ps1 file.
- Right-click on the file, and select Run with PowerShell.
- Click Open to confirm the action. The PowerShell script will execute and show the operation completed successfully message.
- You may see a few new installation notifications. The script will install the Windows Subsystem for Android and Google Play Store and close the PowerShell window.
- Click on Allow access for Windows Security Alert to allow the Windows Subsystem for Android package to connect to your network.
- Once done, press Win + S to open the Windows search bar.
- Type Windows Subsystem for Android and open it from the search results.
- Make sure the Developer Mode is set to On.
- Then, click on Manage Developer Settings under Developer Mode to restart the subsystem.
- Click Allow/Yes if prompted by Windows Firewall.
- Click on Start, and you should see the Play Store app icon.
- Open Play Store and sign in with your Google account. When you log in, Google Play services may perform a routine contact synchronization and other tasks.
Now you can install Android apps on Windows 11 from Google Play Store. However, some apps may still not work properly due to the region and licensing restrictions.
Installing the Google Play Store on Windows 11
Being able to run Android apps natively on Windows 11 removes the hassle of Android emulators. Now with the Play Store support, you can install most if not all the Android apps without sideloading.
That said, for the apps that are not available in Play Store, you can sideload them on your Windows 11 PC using the Command Prompt or WSA Tools.