To mark this week's Build 2022 show, Microsoft has made another announcement on the Windows 11 front, namely that a revamped Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) has arrived on the Microsoft Store.
You may recall that when WSA was launched it was built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) version 11, but Microsoft has updated the system to now use the latest version, namely AOSP 12.1.
On top of all that, we’re getting a freshly redesigned and more streamlined Settings app, and better support for the mouse and keyboard with Android apps, such as getting scroll wheels working properly.
However, that's not all, with the Android program for Windows 11 expanding to five other countries - France, Italy, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom will be able to access Android apps by the end of 2022.
Analysis: Swift progress on the Android front
Microsoft is making good progress with developing Android on Windows 11, that’s for sure. And it’s equally good news to hear that the library of supported apps has been expanded, though Microsoft didn’t elaborate yet on what those fresh introductions might be.
Fingers crossed for some useful software coming through, of course. (Remember that the Android apps supported with WSA are from the Amazon App Store only – via the Microsoft Store – and not Google Play).
Naturally, the big caveat here is that this new incarnation of WSA remains in preview, so it might well be buggy. If you take the plunge right now, you can expect various glitches, no doubt…
While support for Android apps is still in beta, the full release of WSA should happen with the next big update for Windows 11, namely the 22H2 update, which could well be nearer than you think…