One of the most significant announcements made at yesterday’s Windows 11 unveiling was that Microsoft would allow Android apps to run on the new operating system, thanks to a new “Intel Bridge” compiler that allows those apps to run on x86 systems.
Despite being developed by Intel, Android apps on Windows 11 will not be limited to Intel-based computers. Android apps will be supported on AMD and Arm-based processors.
Intel confirmed to The Verge in a statement that “Intel believes it is important to provide this capability across all x86 platforms and has designed Intel Bridge technology to support all x86 platforms (including AMD platforms”).
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Microsoft also confirmed that Android applications will be available for all silicon providers, including Arm, though it did not specify how well those apps will perform.
The Android apps for Windows 11 are now available through a new partnership with Amazon’s Appstore. Android apps such as TikTok will be available on the new Microsoft Store, but users will need to sign in with their Amazon accounts in order to download the apps. Android apps, on the other hand, will run like any other windowed application once they’ve been set up, including the ability to pin them to the taskbar or snap them alongside other apps.