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Microsoft first said that Windows 11 would be able to run Android applications in 2021. When it was released the following year, users could install it from the Amazon Appstore, and some individual Android apps were available in the Microsoft Store. The decision was seen as a response to the dual threat posed by Android apps on Chromebooks and iOS apps on Apple Silicon Macs.

A Microsoft representative explained why the company turned off this feature:

We periodically update our products as part of our commitment to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. This includes introducing new technical innovations and rejecting outdated products.
– commented in the company.

Given that Microsoft is now invested in all things AI, it might find that its past efforts to make Windows a much better touch-focused platform are no longer worth the resources. Another possibility, according to The Verge, is that people are looking for Android apps for Windows. I was expecting the full Google Play Store experience, not the Amazon version which has a worse overall selection.

Microsoft says customers who installed the Amazon Appstore (or other apps and games that use the Windows Subsystem for Android technology) on their Windows 11 computers before Tuesday can continue to use them Until March 5, 2025.

Meanwhile, Amazon announced that its app store and related apps will no longer be available in the Microsoft Store as of Wednesday. Additionally, developers can no longer submit new apps for release on the Amazon Appstore on Windows, but those with existing apps can continue to submit updates for them until March 5, 2025.