Windows 11 preview build has included native support for Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), you can now install APK files on Windows using WSA PacMan easily. Currently, you can only download apps from the Amazon Appstore because Windows 11 doesn’t support other stores. But you can still install the Google Play Store on Windows 11 here.
Amazon’s Appstore isn’t as large as the Play Store, and only a limited number of Android apps can be officially downloaded on Windows 11. Thankfully, you can use the command line tool to install Android apps and even run Windows Subsystem for Android on computers that are not registered with the insider program, and avoid using the WSA manager.
If you don’t want to use the command line (which can be difficult for newbies), there’s an easier way to do it. A new app called “WSA PacMan”, available on Github allows you to install Android apps without opening the command line or system settings.
WSA PacMan is a third-party open source package manager built for the Windows Subsystem for Android. It acts as a GUI application and runs ADB commands in the background to install Android apps so you don’t have to make any changes to the app or the WSA itself.
WSA PacMan is a GUI for ADB commands and it is based on the original WSA included with the operating system, so you need to set up WSA once.
First, you’ll need a device that runs Windows 11 and supports the Android Subsystem for Linux. Second, make sure you have Subsystem for Android installed or enabled and debugging enabled. Otherwise, the package manager will not be able to install the app on your device.
How to Install Android Apps on Windows 11 Using WSA PacMan
1. Go to Github and download WSA PacMan here.
2. The PackMan application will automatically connect to the WSA because it uses the default port 58526 for debugging.
As you can see in the screenshot above, WSA PacMan has a simple interface and you just need to locate the APK file you want to run.
If you followed the steps correctly and selected the APK file, you will see an installation wizard similar to the original installer included with the operating system.
You can open installed applications like any other Windows application. Applications installed by the package manager will show up in the Start Menu and they can be pinned to the taskbar.