How to Run Android Apps on Windows 11
If you’ve installed Windows 11 – the most recent version of Microsoft’s PC operating system – you may now be wondering how to run Android apps on your computer; because although Microsoft has promised to allow you to run these apps through the Amazon Appstore for Android, this feature has yet to be implemented. However, until Microsoft offers this capability in a future update, you will still be able to download and run Android apps and games on your Windows PC.
(Also, it’s worth mentioning that the Amazon Appstore for Android doesn’t have all the apps that Google Play has. So even if you wait until the update, some of your favorite apps may still be unavailable.)
Instead of using the Amazon Appstore, we’ll be using Android emulators. Here are some of the best emulators we’ve found – with the caveat that since Windows 11 is new, you can expect to see some bugs in all of these emulators. However, software updates should improve stability over time.
Bluestacks
Bluestacks has been around for a long time and has improved a lot over the years. This emulator allows you to download and install apps from Google Play, which is a big plus, and many of its best features are game-oriented. So if you want to play your favorite Android games with your keyboard and mouse, Bluestacks is a good choice: it lets you create macros and scripts to map your favorite actions to keyboard shortcuts, saving you time while playing.
In addition, it allows you to quickly change a device profile to launch applications that target only specific devices. Some games, like PUBG Mobile, are best run in the developer’s own emulators, but most other apps and games work well with Bluestacks.
Gameloop
Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, owns GameLoop and, as the name suggests, specializes in gameplay. As Tencent issued PUBG Mobile and many other mobile games, the goal GameLoop – give you the best gaming experience. It also has an anti-cheat system, which is good if you want to avoid hackers in your games.
NoxPlayer
NoxPlayer is also aimed mainly at people who want to play, and if you are having problems with Bluestacks or GameLoop try NoxPlayer. It has the features you need for gaming – keyboard and mouse support, macro recording, and the ability to run multiple games at the same time.