Android app available now

Android apps are now available on Windows 11 in the Beta channel

After documentation for the Windows Subsystem for Android was spotted on Microsoft’s website earlier today, the company has now officially announced that Android apps are now available on Windows 11 if you’re a Windows Insider. Oddly enough, you’ll need to be enrolled in the Beta channel, not the Dev channel, in order to access the initial preview for Android apps on Windows 11. Microsoft says it wants to test this feature first on versions of Windows 11 that are already available to the public, suggesting that the feature will arrive separately from a typical feature update when it does roll out to the general public.

If you want to try out Android apps on Windows 11, you’re going to need a few system requirements in addition to the base requirements for Windows 11. According to the Windows 11 feature requirements posted by Microsoft, you’ll need a PC with at least 8GB of RAM, an SSD drive, and 8th-generation Intel Core i3, AMD Ryzen 3000, or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c processor or higher. These aren’t basic requirements for running Windows 11, but you’ll need to meet them for Android apps.

Another requirement, at least for now, is that your PC’s region is set to the United States, and to access the Amazon Appstore, you’ll also need to US-based Amazon account.

Aside from that, all you need to have virtualization enabled in your PC’s BIOS/UEFI, and be part of the Windows Insider Beta channel. Microsoft’s blog post is supposed to include a link to begin setting up Android app support, but it’s not actually live yet. However, all you need to do is download the Windows Subsystem for Android from the Microsoft Store, and you should soon see the Amazon Appstore show up in your Start menu.

Once you install the Amazon Appstore from the Microsoft Store, you’ll automatically get the Windows Subsystem for Android, which is what allows these apps to run. Initially, only 50 apps from the Amazon Appstore will be available, including games like Lords Mobile, the Kindle app, and children’s content with apps like Khan Academy Kids. More apps will be available over the coming months, though. Microsoft isn’t saying whether you can install Android apps from outside the Store just yet.

The launch does come with some known issues, such as the Microsoft Store not showing ratings for Amazon Appstore apps and performance variations when running multiple apps at the same time. Here’s the full list of known issues:

Known issues with Android apps on Windows 11

[Microsoft Store]

• The Microsoft Store does not display review ratings for Amazon Appstore apps.

[Amazon Appstore]

• If you are experiencing Amazon App Store sign in problems turn your Ad Blocker off.
• Accessibility options are not yet enabled when using the Amazon Appstore.

[Windows Subsystem for Android]

• Network access issues on Cellular LTE on ARM64.
• May see display visual artifacts on certain applications on ARM64.
• Performance may vary when running multiple concurrent Apps.
• There are known camera issues on certain apps.
• Apps coming out of modern standby will encounter issues.

If you’re in the Dev channel of the Windows Insider program, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to get access to Android apps. Microsoft says it plans to bring the feature to those users “down the road” but not today.

Android apps were initially expected to launch alongside Windows 11, but a full launch has been delayed indefinitely. We’re currently expecting sometime in 2022, but we’ll have to wait and see how the test period goes.

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How to Install Android Apps Not Available in Your Country

There are times when we want to install a cool new trending app or game, only to find out that the app is not available in our country. This can be pretty infuriating because there are many great apps not available in all countries. So, you must be wondering if there’s a way on Android to install apps not available in your region. Well, on Android, there’s always a way. And in this article, we bring the best and easiest way that you can use to install Android apps that are not available in your country.

Install Android Apps Not Available in Your Country

Rooting your Android device does give you access to these apps but that’s not a feasible method for everybody. Well, there’s a very simple way for this and not many people are aware of it. If you are one among the lot, here’s how you can install Android apps that are not available in your country. But before that, let me apprise you in the very beginning that the Android VPN method no longer works on the Play Store. And that’s why we are taking a different approach to installing apps that are not available in your region.

1. First of all, create a secondary Google account without using a VPN. To do so, tap on Settings -> Google -> Tap on your current email address. Here, choose “Add another account”. At the bottom-left corner, tap on “Create account” and follow the on-screen instructions. Finally, the account will be created and added to the Google Play Store.

2. After that, open a VPN of your choice and connect to a US server. If you are confused about which VPN to choose then I would recommend ProtonVPN (Free, offers in-app purchases). You can also head over to our article on the best free VPN services and find a suitable one based on your preferences.

3. Once connected, open the Google Play Store and tap on the hamburger menu on the top-left corner. Here, tap on the new top-right icon to switch to the new account on the Play Store.

4. After switching to the new account on the Play Store, open the hamburger menu again and go to “Account”. Here, you will find “Switch to the United States Play Store” and underneath an option to add credit or debit card. Tap on it.

5. After doing so, tap on “Continue” to add a credit or debit card. You can add a domestic card if you want or just cancel the prompt straight away. In any case, you will be moved to the US Play Store. However, keep in mind, it might take 48 hours to switch the region. To confirm if you have moved permanently, go to the “Account” section again and check if it shows “Switch to India/Your Region Play Store”. If so, you have switched successfully.

Note: Once you move to the US Play Store, you will be locked in for one year. And that’s precisely why I have recommended using a secondary account so that you don’t lose your active subscriptions, payment methods, family sharing benefits and more on your primary Google account.

6. Finally, your secondary account will move to the US Play Store and now you can search and install any Android app without any issue. Once you have switched the region, disconnect the VPN and now onwards, you don’t need to use a VPN to search and install apps.

7. Whenever an app throws up “not available in your country” error, just switch to the secondary account on Play Store from the hamburger menu and you will instantly have access to the app. Here, for example, TIDAL is not available in India, but after switching to my secondary account, the app becomes available. Sure, the whole setup process is a bit lengthy, but it’s a permanent solution and you will not have to download APKs from shady sources.

Alternative Methods: Install Android Apps Not Available in Your Country

1. Evozi

If the above method is too cumbersome for you then you can use Evozi. It’s a website where you can just paste a Play Store link and it will extract the APK for you. Yes, it’s that simple. So go ahead and search for the app on Google and copy its link. Further, paste it in the Evozi box and it will generate the download link. On the security side of things, it fetches the APKs directly from the Play Store so there is no third-party interference with the packages.

2. APKMirror

APKMirror is one of the most popular and easiest ways to install Android apps that are not available in your country. Similar to Play Store, it allows developers to upload their APK packages directly on its platforms. And APKMirror scans all the APKs for security checks using signature verification, cryptographic signatures for new versions of existing apps, MD5 checksum, and other protocols. Be assured, you will get secure and up to date Android APKs on APKMirror.

3. Aptoide

If you don’t find an app in Google Play Store for any reason — be it the non-availability of the app in your country or violation of Play Store policies — you will probably find all those apps on Aptoide. Aptoide is a third-party app store for Android smartphones, tablets and TVs. It’s considered among the serious competitors of Google Play Store and rightly so. If you wonder about its security, the APK packages are directly uploaded by popular developers and publishers and further verified by Aptoide through many security checks. So to sum up, if an app is not available in your country, you can certainly find it on Aptoide.

Install Apps Not Available in Your Region Easily

The steps are pretty easy, right? So, if you have been waiting to try apps, which aren’t available in your country, here’s your chance! So, go ahead and install your favorite apps and let us know, if you face any issues with the method. If you ask me, the lengthier yet permanent Play Store process makes more sense if you install a ton of apps that are not available in your country. But your mileage may vary. Let us know your preferences in the comments below.

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15 best Android apps available right now

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The crème de la crème. The Android apps that stand alone at the top of the pantheon. These apps have become ubiquitous with Android and if you’re looking for good stuff it’s assumed that you have some of this stuff already. There are a ton of amazing Android apps out there. However, there are a few that stand out above the rest. These apps are useful to just about everyone no matter what their use case may be. Without further delay, here are the best Android apps currently available.

Most people should be relatively familiar with most of these apps. They are the best, and the best things are rarely anonymous. It’s difficult to get into the hall of fame, but we do have the best lists attached to each selection in case you want to see more options.

The best Android apps available right now:

1Weather

Price: Free / $1.99

1Weather is arguably the best weather app out there. It features a simple, paginated design that shows you the current weather, forecast for up to 12 weeks, a radar, and other fun stats. Along with that, you’ll get a fairly decent set of lightly customizable widgets and the standard stuff like severe weather notifications and a radar so you can see the storms approaching. The Ui is logical and reasonably easy to navigate as well.

The free version has all of the features with advertising. The $1.99 charge removes advertising. Otherwise, the two versions work the same way. Most will also likely enjoy the range of weather fun facts as well when you open the app. We have a list of the best weather apps and widgets if you want more options.

Google Drive

Price: Free / $1.99-$299.99 per month

Some of the features of these apps include live collaboration, deep sharing features, and compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. You can find more cloud storage apps here and more office apps here if you want something different.

Google Maps and Waze

Price: Free

If you add to that the Waze experience, which includes tons of its own features, and you won’t need another navigation app. Ever. Google also owns and operates Waze. It’s unique and fun in ways that Google Maps isn’t and we also highly recommend it. Of course, we have more GPS apps options as well here if you need them.

Google Search / Assistant / Feed

Price: Free

There is also a second Google Assistant app for those who want a quick launch icon on the home screen. The hardware stuff costs money, but Google Assistant is free. There are other decent personal assistants like Amazon Alexa, and you can check them out here.

LastPass

Price: Free / $12 per year

LastPass is one of those must-have Android apps. It’s a password manager that lets you save your login credentials in a safe, secure way. On top of that, it can help generate nearly impossible passwords for you to use on your accounts. It’s all controlled with a master password. It has cross-platform support (premium version only) so you can use it on computers, mobile devices, tablets, or whatever.

There are others, but LastPass always feels like it’s one step ahead. Additionally, the premium version is cheap. You can also grab LastPass Authenticator to go along with it for added security. There are other options for great password managers here and some free LastPass alternatives if the new, more restricted free version isn’t doing it for you. LastPass also has an authenticator app for additional security.

Read more:

Microsoft SwiftKey

Price: Free

Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard is one of the most powerful and customizable third-party keyboards available. It hit the market several years ago with a predictive engine unlike anything any other keyboard had and the app has grown a lot of over the years. It’s a free download and you can purchase themes for it if you want to.

Other features include a dedicated number row, SwiftKey Flow which allows for gesture typing, multiple language support, cross-device syncing of your library, and much more. It’s about as good as it gets in the keyboard space. It’s true that Microsoft now owns SwiftKey, but so far they have managed not to mess it up. Gboard, Google’s keyboard app, is also exceptionally good and we honestly could’ve listed either one. There are some other great Android keyboards here as well.

Nova Launcher

Price: Free / $4.99

You can even make it look like the Pixel Launcher if you want to. If you go premium, you can tack on gesture controls, unread count badges for apps, and icon swipe actions. Those looking for something simpler may want to try Lawnchair Launcher, Hyperion Launcher, and Rootless Launcher. Of course, we have a list of the best Android launchers with even more options as well.

Podcast Addict

Price: Free / $3.99

You can also set download rules, create playlists easily, and it supports both Chromecast and SONOS along with Android Auto and Wear OS. The UI and settings aren’t the most elegant things we’ve seen. However, the app makes up for it by hitting literally every other box we could think of. Pocket Casts and CastBox are other excellent options in this space, and we have a list of even more great podcast apps here.

Poweramp

Price: Free trial / $4.99

The UI has a tiny bit of a learning curve, but it’s one of the better-looking music players as well with optional themes in the Google Play Store. There are other great music apps here, but the top slot arguably Poweramp’s title to lose. Poweramp also has an equalizer app (Google Play link) if you want a better equalizer app.

Solid Explorer

Price: Free trial / $2.99

File browsing is something everyone inevitably has (or wants) to do, so you might as well do it with a capable, fantastic file browser. Solid Explorer is pretty much as good as it gets in the file explorer apps realm. It features Material Design, archiving support, support for the most popular cloud services, and even some more power-user stuff like FTP, SFPT, WebDav, and SMB/CIFS support.

It looks great, it’s incredibly stable, and it just works well. There is a 14-day free trial with a $2.99 price tag at the end of it. There are other file browsers with more features, but few blend together looks, ease of use, and features like Solid Explorer does. If this doesn’t work for you, here are some other outstanding file browsers.

Check out some excellent hardware as well:

Tasker and IFTTT

Price: $2.99 and Free, respectively

Tasker is a glorious application if you have the patience to learn how to use the app. What it does is allow users to create custom made commands and then use them in various places. There are many apps out there that have Tasker support and you can even use Tasker to create very complex commands for NFC tags. It’s difficult to truly explain what this app can do because it can do so many things. Between the apps supported, plugins you can add, and the sheer volume of stuff that you can do, there aren’t many apps out there as useful as this one.

IFTTT is another excellent automation app. In some cases, it may even be better than Tasker thanks to its simplicity and wide range of uses. Tasker is also available free as part of the Google Play Pass. There are some other great Android tools and utility apps, but none of them can step up to Tasker and IFTTT.

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