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Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
31–40 of 256 posts
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#32So, this is the second time a "run your Android apps on Windows" initiative fizzles out: before WSA (which was Amazon-centric), there was a late-2020 "Your Phone" feature that (briefly) allowed Samsung apps on Windows desktops. Not sure if this means anything other than "phone apps run best on, well, a phone", especially since I can't think of anything from my phone that I would truly like on my desktop, other than i…
I haven't tried it, but allegedly Outlook for Android runs better on Windows than the new Outlook for Windows. Which makes some sense, as one is a native app and one is a web app.
https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/i-ac...
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#33This is kind of weird since much of the tech is shared with WSL. It also makes me question the future of WSL, though that would be insane to deprecate given it has worked miracles for rehabilitating Microsoft‘s image and Windows’ usability.
At this point, Linux is so integral to Microsoft's strategy that if anything, it's more likely that Microsoft would abandon the Windows kernel and rebuild the Windows UI on top of Linux.
(To be clear, that's not going to happen, but it's also no longer at the "hell would freeze over" level of absurdity for Nadella's Microsoft.)
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#34Worth mentioning, although this was launched 2 years ago, it's still not available in many countries: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/countries-and-re...
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#35So, this is the second time a "run your Android apps on Windows" initiative fizzles out: before WSA (which was Amazon-centric), there was a late-2020 "Your Phone" feature that (briefly) allowed Samsung apps on Windows desktops. Not sure if this means anything other than "phone apps run best on, well, a phone", especially since I can't think of anything from my phone that I would truly like on my desktop, other than i…
If you're counting that, than this is the 3rd time.
The first one was Project Astoria, whose ashes gave birth to WSL.
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#36I think one thing that really killed it is that the Amazon store is very scarce. I never used it, in part because none of the "good" apps were in the store. I'm surprised Amazon still even has an Android store.
Amazon has their own Android tablets, tvs so they have a vested interest in running their own store.
Unfortunately, shipping Google Apps (GApps) requires meeting certain standards and conditions, which WSA was likely unable to do. Since GApps gatekeep the majority of the average persons Android experience, WSA was doomed for most everyone except the techies that could shoe horn GApps onto WSA.
The real problem is the on going engineering effort required to update and maintain WSA. Google can't even do it for Chrome OS, we're on Android 14 but ChromeOS is still on 11 (at least as of Dec 2023). It's just a different beast than a Linux subsystem.
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#37I found WSA kind of handy to run Pocket Casts on old Microsoft Surface Tablet. Had to jump through some hoops to install Google Play first. What's the best alternative? Bluestacks seems very shady. Chrome OS Flex in a VM? (Scratch that. It looks like Chrome OS Flex doesn't allow Android apps) P.S. Do we make "jokes" about Microsoft killing things off like we do with Google?
Haven’t messed with either personally, but maybe Waydroid can be coaxed into running through WSL?
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#38This is kind of weird since much of the tech is shared with WSL. It also makes me question the future of WSL, though that would be insane to deprecate given it has worked miracles for rehabilitating Microsoft‘s image and Windows’ usability.
At this point, Linux is so integral to Microsoft's strategy that if anything, it's more likely that Microsoft would abandon the Windows kernel and rebuild the Windows UI on top of Linux. (To be clear, that's not going to happen, but it's also no longer at the "hell would freeze over" level of absurdity for Nadella's Microsoft.)
They're even already producing their own Linux distribution, CBL-Mariner, https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#39So, this is the second time a "run your Android apps on Windows" initiative fizzles out: before WSA (which was Amazon-centric), there was a late-2020 "Your Phone" feature that (briefly) allowed Samsung apps on Windows desktops. Not sure if this means anything other than "phone apps run best on, well, a phone", especially since I can't think of anything from my phone that I would truly like on my desktop, other than i…
Well, you're a bit cherry picking here aren't you? Ignoring big success of software like Bluestacks, which is spawning these competitors?
Re: Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)
#40This is such a bummer. I've been waiting to use Android apps like native apps on Windows for years since they first started teasing this. What's the next best thing?