Windows 11 supports Android apps, but you’re limited to using the Amazon Appstore – or are you? With a little work, it’s possible to get the Google Play Store up and running on your Windows 11 PC.
The Amazon Appstore may be the official method of installing Android apps in Windows 11, but there are always other ways to do things. You can sideload Android apps and games manually, but if that gets tiresome, you may prefer to just go all out and download the Play Store. So that’s what we’re going to do.
RELATED: How to Install Android Apps on Windows 11
PC Requirements
Let’s start with what you need. If you’ve already gone through the process of getting the Amazon Appstore to work in Windows 11, you can skip this section, but keep in mind that you’ll need to have the Amazon Appstore installed. You can get the Amazon Appstore from the Microsoft Store.
As of February 2022, Android apps will be available in Windows 11’s stable channel, but only in the US. If your PC can run Windows 11, you already meet the requirements to also use Android apps. Make sure to check for Windows updates and install any available updates before proceeding.
Next, hardware virtualization must be enabled on your Windows 11 PC. Windows 11 essentially runs Android in a virtual machine, which is why this is necessary. You can check if virtualization is enabled on your PC by going to the “Performance” tab in the Task Manager. (You can press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.)
If hardware virtualization is not enabled, you may need to enable Intel VT-X in your computer’s UEFI firmware (BIOS). For systems with AMD chips, look for AMD-V in the UEFI Firmware Settings screen.
Then make sure you are using the latest version from the Microsoft Store. Open the Microsoft Store and update all apps on the “Library” page.
If all of these things add up, you’re ready to move on! If you’ve installed some updates to get to this point, it’s a good idea to reboot your PC before we continue.
RELATED: How to Switch Between Dev and Beta Channels on Windows 11
Install the Google Play Store
We will be using a tool called “PowerShell Windows Toolbox”. It includes a number of features, including the ability to install the Google Play Store on Windows 11. This tool allows for a fairly simple one-click installation that does not require any additional software.
Note: This tool downloads a script from a server and runs it. There are some security concerns, but we have reason to believe it’s worth trusting. First off, this is an open source tool, meaning there is a degree of transparency about what goes on behind the scenes.
Second, at the time of writing, the tool has nearly 700 stars on Github. That indicates that a large number of people have found it useful. In addition, the tool has been in development for over six months and no major issues have been reported.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide whether to trust a script from a GitHub repository. Proceed at your own risk.
On your Windows 11 PC, navigate to the GitHub page in your web browser and browse to the “How to Use” section. Copy the code listed under the “Easy Start Command” heading.
Then run Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
To do this, open your Start menu and search for “PowerShell”. Click the “Run as administrator” option or right click on “Windows PowerShell” in the list and select “Run as administrator”.
Paste the code you copied from the GitHub page into PowerShell and press Enter. If it seems frozen, wait a few seconds.
The “Windows Toolbox” windows open. All we need to do is click on “Install Google Play Store for Windows 11”. Scroll down if you can’t see it.
Then, back in the PowerShell window, you may need to enable the Virtual Machine Platform if it was disabled. Enter “Yes” to continue.
Now the Windows Subsystem for Android is replaced by a new package. Enter “P” to continue.
We now need to download the new Windows Subsystem for Android. A bit.ly link will be generated which you can highlight, copy and paste into your browser to download the ZIP file.
Once the file has been downloaded, you need to enter the path of the file in PowerShell. If desired, move the file to a location with a simple file path.
Tip: Right-click the file in Windows Explorer and select “Copy to Path” instead of manually typing the full path.
The old Windows subsystem for Android will be removed and a new version will take its place.
A few popups related to the Windows subsystem for Android require your input. Make sure to leave the Settings window open until the script has run. When it’s done, you can find the Google Play Store in the Start menu with your other apps.
Now you can sign in to the Play Store with your Google account. You’re all set to install Android apps from the Play Store!
Android apps from the Play Store appear in the Start menu, along with apps from the Amazon Appstore and Windows apps. If you still can’t find all the Android apps you want, there’s always the option to sideload.
RELATED: How to Sideload Android Apps on Windows 11
This post How to install the Google Play Store on Windows 11
was original published at “https://www.howtogeek.com/765131/how-to-install-the-google-play-store-on-windows-11/”
