Windows 11: Android apps from the App Store do not work either

Windows 11

Just last Thursday, Microsoft presented the new operating system with Windows 11. It should appear this year and bring some practical functions with it. In addition to Auto-HDR and a focus on resource-friendliness, Microsoft primarily advertised native support for Android apps.

Recommended editorial content Here you will find external content from [PLATFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. Originally only the Amazon App Store was mentioned, the Google Play Store was not mentioned. Due to the limited selection on Amazon, users would then not have access to many well-known apps. Software developer and Microsoft employee Miguel de Icaza has now confirmed on Twitter that apps that do not come from the Amazon App Store should also run on Windows 11.

Android apps are installed via APK files, with APK stands for Android Package. Icaza answered a resounding yes when a user asked if "you could just download APK files from Windows". If you don't want to use the Amazon App Store, you can "bring your own APKs", says Icaza.

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From Elden Ring to Far Cry 6: These were our highlights from E3 2021. We present all the top titles in more detail in the article great video. var lstExcludedArticleTicker = '1374742,1374690,1374612'; So if you have your own APK files on your computer, for example from itch.io or if you are attached to apps from F-Droid's open source library, you can take a deep breath. These apps should still work on Windows 11 and you are not tied to the Amazon App Store.

Source: Miguel de Icaza on Twitter

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Windows 11 is coming, but it won't have every feature we wanted

© Provided by CNET Windows 11 is bringing some welcome new features and a redesigned interface, but we aren't getting everything we wanted. Microsoft

We finally got an official first look at Windows 11 this week, after Microsoft unveiled the new operating system at a virtual event on Thursday. Windows 11 features a redesigned interface, with a centered Start button and taskbar and overall a cleaner, more Mac-like aesthetic. 

While Windows 11 will bring some useful new features, including easier virtual desktop creation, widgets, Android app downloads and a more integrated Microsoft Teams experience, it's not quite a total overhaul of Windows 10. Several features that CNET editors including Jason Hiner, Stephen Shankland, Lori Grunin and I were hoping to see in terms of performance and productivity didn't end up coming to fruition, at least in the first look we got. 

© Stephen Shankland/CNET

Windows 10's wallpaper

Here are some of the changes we would have liked to see in Windows 11, but didn't. 

A vertical taskbar option

While you can move your taskbar in Windows 10 to a vertical position to the left or right edge of the screen, the final result is often a bit messy in terms of the user interface. We were hoping this would still be an option in Windows 11, just cleaned up a bit. However, it appears that Microsoft nixed the feature, and you'll need to keep the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. 

Computational videography for webcams 

With many people shifting to remote or hybrid work, the need for a solid webcam experience is imperative for all of those Zoom and Teams calls. The iPhone 12 Pro and recent Google Pixel phones already include computational image processing to improve quality. We would have loved to see this feature in Windows 11 for webcams, which could have also given PCs an edge over the new M1 Macs, but no dice. 

Windows 11: Top new features in 2021

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Faster Windows updates

Video: Microsoft reveals Windows 11 (CNET)

Microsoft reveals Windows 11

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Windows 10 represented Microsoft's move to deliver Windows as a service, with continuous updates -- which is great for keeping machines secure. However, these updates can be slow. In Windows 11, we'd like to see an approach more similar to Google's with Chrome OS, where the upgrade occurs in a second partition so it's done in the background. But it seems like the process to upgrade to Windows 11 once it's available will be the same as it has been for Windows 10. 

Faster shutdown, restart and wake from sleep

PCs running Windows 10 can face slower shutdown, restart and wake-from-sleep times, sometimes due to the need to close apps like the task manager. We'd have liked to see those options sped up in Windows 11, but Microsoft didn't mention any changes on this front. 

© Provided by CNET Wake up faster, Windows 11. Sarah Tew/CNETThree-finger trackpad for drag and drop

MacOS offers the option to use three fingers on the trackpad to drag and drop items. But Windows machines currently make you double-click to do this. Again, Microsoft didn't mention any change here during its virtual event. 

Easier options to reverse the scroll direction

MacOS makes it easy to reverse the direction of your mouse scroll if you want to from System Preferences. But in Windows 10, you have to go into the Registry, and it's a more complicated process. 

Simpler user account creation

In Windows 10, you need to log in to create a new user account, and Microsoft recommends that the new account is also attached to a Microsoft account. While we wanted to see easier user account creation without logging in or being pressured to create or connect a Microsoft account, Windows 11 Home goes in the opposite direction -- you'll need to have a Microsoft account and an internet connection to get the upgrade. 

© Provided by CNET Most people will need both a Microsoft account and an internet connection to update to Windows 11. Sarah Tew/CNETImproved setup of multiple camera, webcam, mics and headsets

With the rise of working from home, more people are improving their computer setups with multiple webcams, mics and headsets. However, Windows 10 makes it tricky to choose the device you want to use, and sometimes requires you to disable one of the others. While Windows 11 has added some useful features for the hybrid workplace, including easier desktop creation, Microsoft executives didn't discuss any changes from the hardware setup perspective. 

What other features would you have liked to see in Windows 11? Sound off in the comments below. 

For more, check out how to download Windows 11 once it's available, and how to check if your PC will be compatible with Windows 11.