Microsoft is unexpectedly killing off its help for Android apps inside Windows 11, though you’ll have a yr to play video games in your Windows pill till help formally expires.

But when you haven’t already put in help for Android apps, you’re out of luck.

Microsoft isn’t saying precisely why it’s ending help for the Windows Subsystem for Android, although discover was given as a part of an official Microsoft developer document that Windows Central noticed. That implies that the present Android app retailer on Windows, revealed by Amazon, will stop working.

“Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA),” Microsoft wrote. “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. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.”

Unfortunately, it additionally seems like when you didn’t act quick, your capability to play Golf Clash on a Surface Pro pill is gone endlessly. “Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025,” Microsoft added. (Emphasis ours.)

Amazon additionally posted a FAQ offering just a few extra particulars. “Apps installed from the Amazon Appstore on your Windows 11 devices will continue to work until March 5, 2025,” the corporate stated. “While we expect no immediate impact on your ability to access the applications between March 2024 and March 2025, over time, some apps may not function properly.”

Why did Microsoft kill off Android apps on Windows? If I needed to make a guess, it was as a result of they stunk. The actual killer was the dearth of formal entry to the Google Play Store, which meant that customers needed to obtain apps from Amazon’s app retailer, which kind of appears like a knockoff. And the Amazon retailer continues to be stuffed with what seem like junky, play-to-win video games and apps. Finally, whereas there nonetheless are Windows tablets from Microsoft and Lenovo, there are principally zero Windows tablets catering to customers. All that most likely didn’t assist Microsoft’s utilization metrics.

I used to be, nevertheless, capable of obtain the Kindle for Android app on to a Windows 11 PC only a few minutes in the past. So if you wish to check out Android on Windows, act quick.