Running android apps on Windows

Updated Oct 4th, 2024

If this guide gets too outdated, please check the main releases page for the latest release for your operating system

Step 1: Make sure Virtualization is enabled

If virtualization is not enabled, or your PC does not support it, you won't be able to run Android apps on your PC.

  1. Open task manager (ctrl+shift+esc)
  2. Switch to the "Performance" tab
  3. Under "CPU", check that virtualization is enabled

If virtualization is disabled, please look up a video on how to enable virtualization on your specific computer, as the method differs for different computers

Step 2: Enable Windows Features

Search for "Windows features" in the start menu and open "Turn Windows features on or off" to ensure necessary components are enabled. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the search bar from the taskbar
  2. Type "Windows features" in the search bar.
  3. Select "Turn Windows features on or off" from the search results.
  4. In the Windows Features window, ensure that the following features are checked:
    • "Virtual Machine Platform"
    • On Windows 10, enable the "Hyper-V" group
    • On windows 11, enable Windows Hypervisor Platform
  5. Click "OK".
  6. Click Restart now

Step 3: Enable Developer Settings

  1. Open the search bar from the taskbar
  2. Type "Developer" in the search bar.
    • On Windows 10, click "Developer settings"
    • On Windows 11, click "Use developer features"
  3. Turn on Developer mode.

Step 4: Download and extract Windows Subsystem for Android

Download the Windows Subsystem for Android to enable seamless integration of Android apps on your Windows PC. Follow these steps:

  1. Download the correct version for your operating system here:
  2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder on your computer.
  3. Open the folder where you extracted the contents of the .7z file.
  4. You'll find a folder within the extracted files (e.g., the main Windows Subsystem for Android folder).
  5. Right-click on the folder to select it.
  6. Choose the Rename option from the context menu.
  7. Type "WSA" as the new name and press Enter to confirm the change.
  8. Once renamed, Cut the folder (Ctrl+X).
  9. Navigate to the C:\ directory (you can open File Explorer and go to "This PC" > "Local Disk (C:)").
  10. Paste the folder into the C:\ directory (Ctrl+V).

Step 5: Run the Installation Script

In the "C:\WSA" directory, you'll find a file named "Run.bat." Double-click on it to run the installation script. Follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the C:\WSA directory (you can open File Explorer and go to "This PC" > "Local Disk (C:)" > "WSA").
  2. You'll find a file named "Run.bat".
  3. Double-click on the "Run.bat" file to execute the installation script.
  4. Follow any on-screen prompts or instructions to complete the installation.

Step 6: Access Google Play Store and Log In

If Google Play Store hasn't launched already, follow these steps:

  1. Open Google Play Store from your Start menu.
  2. Log into your Google account within Google Play Store.
  3. After logging in, Google Play Store may crash. Don't worry, this is likely Google Play updating itself.
  4. Re-launch Google Play Store as many times as needed until it stabilizes.

Step 7: Install Apps from Google Play Store

You should now be able to install apps from the Google Play Store. Have fun exploring and enhancing your Windows Subsystem for Android experience!

Troubleshooting:

This section covers issues I have come across, whether they were with my computer, or a friend's, the solutions are listed below

If WSA throws this error, and says to check that virtualization is enabled in the BIOS, don't worry.

Follow these steps:

  1. Search for, and open the registry editor
  2. Navigate to “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\FsDepends”
  3. Change the value of “Start” from “3” to “0”