that Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) lets you run certain Android apps on Windows 11 computers. First released as a preview in 2021, Microsoft has removed the ” preview “a few months ago. But WSA is still in very active development, and Microsoft just released an update to beta testers that brings a bunch of updates.
WSA version 2211 is now available for testingand i.a. it brings Android 13 to the Windows Subsystem for Android and offers a lot of performance and usability improvements.
The update is not yet available to all users – you must be a member of the program previewWSA to try it. But if all goes as planned, the new features should eventually make their way to the stable channel.
The Android version update should make apps that target Google’s latest operating system APIs work better on Windows computers. But Microsoft claims that the latest version of its software also brings:
- Boot performance improvements (boot time cut in half on devices with SSD)
- Improved mouse click input
- Improved clipboard stability
- Improved app size
- New command that closes WSA for automation
- Improved reliability when opening media files in Windows
- Waitlist entries for apps that support app shortcuts
IN preview
While the Android version update seems like a pretty big update, it’s just one of many key features on WSA’s roadmap. Others include support for file transfers, shortcuts, picture-in-picture mode and standard LAN access.
Microsoft has not mentioned when all Windows 11 users will get the update.Windows Subsystem for Android, but this should be done after the end of bug testing under the Preview program and the Windows Insiders program. This update addresses several points on Microsoft’s checklist for WSA improvements and follows an upgrade to Android 12.1 earlier this year.