How to Install Android Apps on Windows 10 Mobile Devices

As we’ve recently reported to you, it's now possible to install Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile devices ahead of the big launch of the operating system later this year.

Microsoft is expected to enable this feature in the final version of Windows 10 Mobile, but for the moment, this is a very risky thing to do because it could damage the operating system and the phone.

What you need to install Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile

Below are the requirements to get you started:

A device running Windows 10 Mobile build 10049 or newer

A USB cable to connect your phone to the PC

A PC running Windows

The “connect” and “ADB” set of tools and the included files

The APK file you want to install (note that downloading APKs could be illegal)

Step 1

Download “connect” and “adb” and extract the files. Launch “IpOverUsbInstaller.msi” and “vcredist_x86.exe” in the “wconnect” folder and let them install all items.

Step 2

Prepare your phone by going to “Settings > Update & Security > For developers” and enable “Developer mode” and “Device discovery.” Connect the phone to the PC using a USB cable.

Step 3

Open the “wconnect” folder, press Shift + Right mouse click and hit the “Open command window here” option. Type the following command:

code

wconnect.exe usb

The app will then ask for a pairing code. On your phone in the same settings screen, click on “Pair,” and a code should be generated. Enter this code in the command prompt window.

Step 4

Open the “adb > platform-tools” folder, open a command prompt window by pressing Shift + Right mouse click > Open command here and type the following command:

code

adb devices

It will show the list of devices connected to the PC. If your phone is displayed, then you are good to go.