Sideloading Android apps in Windows 11 might be easier thanks to Amazon

By Arif Bacchus July 19, 2021

Amazon is making changes to the Amazon Appstore that might end up benefiting the ability to sideload Android apps in Windows 11. The store now will support the Android App Bundle, which is the new Android app standard that Google has been pushing developers to get on board with.

Previously, Google had announced it was shifting developers away from the APK file format — which Microsoft had confirmed could be used to sideload Android apps on Windows 11. This would have complicated the ability to run apps that aren’t officially available in Amazon’s Appstore, but Amazon’s news offers hope that this won’t be the case.

Android Apps on Windows 11 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Amazon says that in addition to the APK format, the company is working with developers to support the Android App Bundle format for different app submissions. It doesn’t appear to be something that will happen right away, however. The company noted that updates on this will be shared later this year, as it wants to make app submissions as simple and as “friction-less” as possible for developers.

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Unlike Google, however, Amazon isn’t mandating the Android App Bundle format. Developers can still keep using APKs and submitting in the same way as before. This should mean that Windows 11 users will still see a wide range of apps available for download as well as sideload.

“Amazon Appstore is actively working to support the new format, which will provide benefits such as smaller app size downloads for customers and on-demand downloads for features and assets. These changes benefit customers by helping them download specific aspects of an app in real-time as needed,” said Amazon.

Microsoft has yet to ship a version of Windows 11 with the Amazon App Store or support for Android apps. The company has already pushed out three versions of Windows 11 since the initial release for beta testing. These Windows 11 builds tweaked the Start Menu, app previews in the Taskbar, and even introduced a new Widget.

If you’re eager to try out Android apps in Windows 11, you can sign up to become a Windows Insider and then enroll your device in the program. This will let you beta test Windows 11 ahead of the general release this holiday season.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

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