Microsoft announces Windows 11 will lose official support for thousands of apps

Microsoft is ending support for hundreds of thousands of apps for Windows 11 users, with the company taking to its website to officially announce the news.

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According to the announcement, Microsoft will no longer support Windows Subsystem for Android, which enables Android-based applications to run smoothly on Windows 11. Users who were taking advantage of this were able to simply download a large range of Android applications, typically through the Amazon Appstore, and utilize that application on a Windows 11 system.

However, support for this will end shortly as Microsoft has announced March 5, 2023, will be the last for support, with customers still being able to access already downloaded Android apps "through the deprecation date of March 5, 2023," but not after. Amazon also made the same announcement on its own developer blog, writing Amazon and Microsoft are working together to create a smooth "end of support experience for developers and customers".

Notably, the Microsoft-Amazon deal birthed the support for Android apps on Windows, which was only enabled in 2021.

"Customers may continue using Amazon Appstore apps that they previously installed and will still be able to receive app updates [after March 6]," Amazon wrote in a blog post published today. "Developers will no longer be able to submit net new apps targeting Windows 11 after March 5, 2024, but developers with an existing app can continue to submit app updates until Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 is fully discontinued."

"Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers. Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025," wrote Microsoft