When Microsoft announced when Windows 11 was announced that Android apps would run in the new operating system, many an editor at COMPUTER BILD was amazed. Because it is a small technical revolution. But it also has some flaws. As can now be seen, increasing system requirements are also part of this. Where the previous Windows 11 system requirements have already caused a lot of criticism.
Android apps and Windows 11: limitations
At the thought of practical use, the euphoria mentioned at the beginning quickly evaporated: Which Android app should offer added value under Windows? Many popular Android apps are already available in a version for Windows, while others run optimally in the PC browser. Most of the remaining apps are optimized for touch controls and small screens, so they only fit on Windows 11 devices with the corresponding features, whereby Windows 11 requires a screen diagonal of “more than 9 inches”.
The long waiting time for Android apps also dampens anticipation, especially since only US users will be able to use the test phase for the time being. Android apps can only be used on Windows 11 with cryptic tricks. Furthermore, the selection of apps will be limited to what is offered in the Amazon Appstore. And now there are also increased demands on the PC operating system.
Windows 11: The requirements for Android apps
On a new help page, Microsoft specifies the requirements for using Android apps under Windows 11. There are changes compared to regular Windows 11 operation in the main memory, among other things. Instead of at least 4 gigabytes, it must be at least 8 gigabytes for Android apps, and a whopping 16 gigabytes are even recommended. And while Windows 11 previously only stipulated a minimum size of 64 gigabytes for the hard drive, Android apps must also have an SSD drive.
According to the site, the main processor in the PC must be at least an eighth-generation Intel Core i3, an AMD Ryzen 3000 or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c. It remains unclear whether this excludes other series from processor manufacturers (such as Intel Celeron CPUs) that are officially compatible with Windows 11. The page specifies x64 or ARM64 as supported processor architectures – this generally already applies to Windows 11. In addition, the virtualization technology of the respective PC must be activated in the UEFI menu. One last requirement goes without saying: Since the Amazon Appstore is used, you need an Amazon user account.