Microsoft has quietly updated its support document to confirm that the Windows Subsystem for Android is going away. Yes, the ability to run Android and games on PC, one of the “flagship” features of Windows 11 and heavily promoted by Microsoft former executive Panos Panay, is being depreciated.
In an update to its support document, Microsoft has announced it will stop supporting the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) by March 5, 2025. This means the Amazon Appstore on Windows and any games or apps that need the Android subsystem won’t work after that date.
“Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025,” Microsoft noted in an update to its support document.
This news could come as a shock to many, but I saw this coming. According to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, WSA adoption was too low, and the company decided to pull the plug.
That’s still a classic Microsoft move. As noted by former Microsoft dev Michael Niehaus on X, “the cycle is all too common” – Microsoft release something half-baked or with a limited audience, no one uses it, feature gets discontinued.”
Windows Subsystem for Android rollout was a mess
Windows Subsystem for Android was announced during the Windows 11 launch event, but when the OS began shipping on stable systems, the WSA was noticeably missing from the release. It wasn’t until four months after the launch of Windows 11 that the WSA finally made its debut, but only in the United States.
This limited rollout began with updates for Windows Insiders in the US, allowing them to test and use Android apps on Windows 11. Following this initial release, it took another seven months before the WSA became available in additional regions like the UK, Canada, and Germany.
WSA’s availability was limited, as many people outside the US couldn’t try Android apps on Windows 11 without joining the Insider Program.
Additionally, the selection of apps in the Amazon Appstore for Windows was quite restricted, especially when compared to the vast array of apps found in the Google Play Store.
Amazon pulls its AppStore from Windows 11
If you’ve downloaded the Amazon App Store or any Android apps before March 5, 2024, you can still use them until support ends in 2025.
In a separate blog post, Amazon also confirmed its Appstore on Windows 11 is going away as Microsoft has ended support for Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA).
In our tests, it’s already impossible to search for Amazon Appstore or its apps in the Microsoft Store.
