The Windows Subsystem for Android was one of the big innovations at the launch of Windows 11, and Microsoft put it in the spotlight as a preferred development, continuing its “idyl” with Android once it was adopted as its own operating system.

If mobile work was plentiful, with its own launcher, all kinds of apps, strategic deals with big firms like Samsung and even using Android in its return to mobile hardware with the Surface Duo, the icing on the cake was this WSA that was at the end declared “stable” in October, now comes a new version with important changes, from which we can quote:

• Updated to Android 13 features.
• 50% improvement in boot performance.
• App resizing improvements.
• Improved mouse click input.
• Improved clipboard stability.
• Improved the reliability of media files opened on Windows.
• New command to disable WSA for automation.

The new version of WSA is carried by a build number, it is available on GitHub in preview as a tester preview. Microsoft is expected to release it on the general channel soon. Although compatibility with Android 13 is a highlight (interesting that Microsoft supports the latest version of Android before many mobile device manufacturers), the WSA plan considers general improvements supports file transfer, shortcuts, picture-in-picture mode and local network access by default.

What can be done with Windows Subsystem for Android

In case you haven’t tried it yet, say that WSA is similar in concept to WSL for Linux, although it has a much bigger impact due to the greater potential for use by the hundreds of millions of mobile users who in turn use Windows. The general objective is known: deploy capacity run Android apps on Windows.

Once activated, WSA will allow you to install and run Android applications as if they were native Windows applications. Application icons appear in the Start menu, on the taskbar, and elsewhere, and applications run in resizable or resizable windows. It supports ARM and x64 PCs with at least 8GB of RAM.

This does not mean that all Android apps can be run. Microsoft has partnered with Amazon to bring the e-commerce giant’s Appstore, along with a redesigned Microsoft Store, to serve mobile apps directly on Windows. Here is the big problem WSA does not officially support the Google Play Store or other Google services where most Android apps are. Google Play can be used unofficially, yes and news is expected in this section in the future.