Windows 10 users can now interact with Android apps

Aug 6, 2020 06:40 GMT  ·  By

A few years ago, Microsoft silently started working on something that many users considered to be huge news: support for Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile, an update that would have resolved the lack of apps on the mobile platform once and for all.

And while the software giant has already abandoned Windows 10 Mobile, the plan to bring Android apps to its operating system is still on the table. And the good news is that it’s already happening.

Microsoft has recently announced that the Your Phone app will be updated with new functionality that will allow users to run Android apps right on their Windows 10 desktops.

First and foremost, what’s Your Phone? This new app, which works mostly with Samsung phones, allows Android devices to pair their mobiles with Windows 10 computers and then access the photo gallery, get phone notifications on the desktop, and even mirror the screen on the PC.

In theory, this is something that sounds pretty cool, but on the other hand, it’s also not a secret that massive improvements are still required. For example, refreshing notifications is often a painfully slow process that takes more time than it should, eventually defeating the purpose of staying up-to-date with what’s happening on the phone.

But Microsoft doesn’t want to stop here and has recently worked with Samsung for an even more groundbreaking feature that would allow users to run Android apps on Windows 10.

As compared to the original plan that Microsoft had in mind for Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 users won’t be allowed to install Android apps directly but run them from their mobile devices. This means the Samsung phone needs to be paired with Windows 10 through the Your Phone app.

The experience with Android apps will be as native as possible, so you’ll even be able to pin them to your taskbar, even if they’re actually installed on the Samsung smartphone. Furthermore, they’ll show up in the Alt + Tab app switcher, alongside Windows apps and Microsoft Edge tabs.

Android apps on Windows 10

These apps will run in their own dedicated window outside of the Your Phone app, so overall, it’ll be pretty much an Android app running on Windows 10, all powered by a mobile device connected to your computer.

There are limitations, and Microsoft names a few of them:  

  • Only the Galaxy Note20 supported at first, more devices coming at a later time
  • Not all Android apps will be supported
  • Some apps might only support touch input
  • Some apps might block mirroring on the desktop
  • Some apps might display a black screen instead of the UI
  • Running multiple apps side by side will arrive at a later time

“A phone buzzing while you are in your work flow on your PC is the last thing you need, especially with the constant stream of interruptions we are facing while trying to work in new conditions. Microsoft’s Your Phone app and Link to Windows integration on select Samsung devices, enables you to stay in the flow by allowing you to take calls, check notifications, see photos and messages, all from your Windows 10 PC. Now, on your Samsung Galaxy Note20, you can access and interact with your favorite mobile apps directly on your Windows 10 PC through the Your Phone app,” Microsoft announced earlies today.

As for what Samsung phones will support all these features, this is something that remains to be seen, but I’m guessing that the Galaxy S10 and the Note10 will be the models that will almost certainly allow running Android apps on the Windows 10 desktop.

Android apps on Windows 10

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