Why has support for Android apps been removed from Windows 11?

End of support Android apps on Windows 11 This took some users by surprise. Integration was one of the most exciting features when the operating system was announced, but it never gained widespread adoption. After announcing his death, a former Microsoft employee explained the reason why the company fired him.

Andrew Klinik, a veteran of nearly three decades at Microsoft, posted a farewell tweet to Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). “It was an amazing project, but it doesn’t matter how good the technology is if you don’t have apps in the store,” he said a few days ago. Klinik, who led the project for two years, noted that The lack of Google services contributed to its downfall.

“Honestly, when Google left, the nails were already in the coffin,” he said on Twitter. The Microsoft veteran added that Google Play’s absence from WSA cannot be resolved without a hack.

Windows Subsystem for Android It is based on the open source Android project., which does not include Google services. Microsoft partnered with Amazon to distribute apps through its Appstore, a deal that benefited both companies. According to the Clinic, Amazon Appstore income, salary development teams, so it is impossible to support the project without their support.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Andrew Klinik led the Windows Subsystem development team for Android from 2020 to 2022. His responsibilities included Amazon Store integration for offering Android apps that feel native Windows.

Google Play Services is not included in the Windows Subsystem for Android.

Google Play Services is one of the most important features of Android. Software provides access to Cards, Pay, Drive and other services and links them with third-party applications.. This also helps with device security and access to essential services such as Quick Pairing or Find My Device.

Access to Google Play Services is not included in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Software is proprietary and licensed which Google signs with device manufacturers.

“Many of the fancy features you see in the latest smartphones (some of which may be exclusive to the Pixel, and some of which may be available on multiple devices) are implemented by Google either in Play services or in some of their own components that they create. said Chirayu Desai, developer of CalyxOS, an AOSP-based Android distribution.

Chirayu adds that AOSP includes several applications, and most of them have a 2011 user interface. While some developers are working to improve them, others don’t have the resources to do so. For Microsoft, An agreement with Amazon to bring Appstore to WSA would be more beneficial than starting from scratch.although this does not solve the problem of missing key Android services.

The lack of Google Play services was the key to Huawei’s fiasco and appears to have repeated that feat in the Windows subsystem for Android.