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Windows PCs could finally run Android apps soon

Rumors indicate that Microsoft is looking into ways of bringing Android apps to the Microsoft Store on Windows 10. If the proposal is implemented it could help alleviate the paucity of apps currently available for the Windows platform.

Windows Central reports that the feature could be made available sometime next year, but otherwise had few details to share. How Microsoft will resolve compatibility issues, for example, remains unknown.

To offer native Android app compatibility, Microsoft may have to find some way of offering Google Play Services support. Other platforms that have included some form of Android app compatibility have not been able to offer some apps, like Gmail and Uber, that rely on Google Play Services integration.

Making an app-earance

This is not the first time that Microsoft has looked at ways of porting Android apps to the Windows ecosystem. Back in 2015, the Redmond-based firm announced the launch of Windows Bridge for Android, also known as Project Astoria, before discontinuing it the following year.

For anyone that wants to access their favorite Android apps on their Windows devices, there are a few options available to you. A number of Android emulators are available and the latest update to the Your Phone app will allow you to run some Android mobile apps side by side on your Windows 10 PC.

Full, native Android support would be a big addition to the Windows 10 platform though, and could also provide a major boost for developers too, who will only have to build one version of their app in order to reach users of both operating systems.

Source: TechRadar