Android 13 is coming to Windows 11 – but I still can’t see a reason to use it
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Android apps have been available for testing on Windows 11 for most of 2022, and Microsoft has worked hard to improve the experience during that time. Not only did a Windows 11 update last month make Android apps faster, but the latest version of the operating system, Android 13 “Tiramisu,” is in development to be rolled out in the future.
The latest update will be a welcome one; the ‘Future Roadmap’ section of Microsoft’s GitHub page (opens in new tab) lists “File Transfer,” “Local Network Access,” and a host of other improvements, all of which will give Android apps new smarts when used on Windows.
But while it’s great that Microsoft is improving the Android experience on PC, I’m still not tempted to try it myself on a desktop. Why? Well, it mostly comes down to the awful apps flooding the Microsoft Store; in short, the company has a growing problem in this area that needs to be solved quickly.
For now pass on the Tiramisu
The image above illustrates why I was reluctant to try out Android apps in Windows 11. Junk apps are all over the Microsoft Store, and while the roadmap on Microsoft’s GitHub page might attract other developers to create or update their apps for Windows 11, it feels like a pointless endeavor.
The Store is full of apps that don’t do what they say. Granted, this is due to the Android apps being pulled from Amazon’s App Store, where anyone can upload an app, rather than the Google Play Store, but Microsoft could certainly have a team to work on. least approve or reject the apps it contains in its own store.
Instead, we have a situation where the idea of Android apps on Windows sounds great, but the execution is lousy. And as a result, we now have a redesigned Microsoft Store that was useful a year ago, but is now full of junk Android apps.
If Microsoft wants Windows 11 to be useful and secure for everyone – and presumably it is – then it has to do better. Until then, the Android experience on PC remains a frustrating work in progress.