For a moment in time, Microsoft attempted to court Android developers to its operating system by adding a new Windows Subsystem in Windows 11, but it looks like that is ending as the company plans to phase that out by March 5, 2025.
In a shocking turn of events Microsoft published official documentation with an end-of-support date for its WSA that was highly touted during the release of Windows 11 back in 2021. Since the Fall of 2021, the WSA in Windows 11 has received relative attention from the Windows development team through several updates and patches over the years but it looks like Microsoft is ready to pull the plug on the Android-in-Windows experiment.
For those who jumped onboard and downloaded the Amazon App Store utilizing the underlying WSA in Windows 11, you’ll have until March 5, 2025, to receive technical support, while installs and updates will cease to be functional at that time.
Important
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. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers.
Microsoft Learn
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. Please reach out to our support team for further questions at support.microsoft.com. We are grateful for the support of our developer community and remain committed to listening to feedback as we evolve experiences.
Microsoft’s language regarding the end-of-support for its WSA is dry and doesn’t offer an explanation as to why the monthly updates that have been going towards the effort, will simply be scrapped going forward. For its part, Amazon also threw out a joint press release confirming the end-of-support for its Amazon App Store on Windows with the following:
Because Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 will no longer be supported after March 5, 2025. Amazon and Microsoft are partnering to create a smooth end of support experience for developers and customers of Amazon Appstore on Windows 11. Developers will no longer be able to submit net new apps targeting Windows 11 after March 5, 2024, but developers with an existing app can continue to submit app updates until Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is fully discontinued.
Amazon App Store blog
Starting on March 6, 2024, Windows 11 customers will not be able to search for Amazon Appstore or associated apps from the Microsoft Store. Customers may continue using Amazon Appstore apps that they previously installed and will still be able to receive app updates.
Amazon attempts to answer several support questions that include what will happen to new submissions to the app store during the wind down period or if there are any actions needed to be taken by developers since the announcement. However, Amazon is also leaving the question as to why the removal of WSA is happening now an unknown.
Microsoft has plenty of new AI features to tout in the coming months and perhaps Android development adotpion isn’t at the level the company thought it would be at three years into Windows 11’s lifecycle. Nevertheless, Google and Android smartphone OEMs are still plugging away at making Windows and Android further compatible on consumer level following several announcements during CES 2024.
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