How To Sideload Android Apps (APK) In Windows 11

Windows 11 is already out, and many users are astonished by how different it appears. There are not many novel features, but some of them are quite good. Compatibility for native Android applications is one of the aspects of Windows 11 that is regularly discussed. Yes, native sideloading of Android apps is now available on Windows 11 without the use of any third-party software. Only the Amazon app store offers Android apps that are compatible with Windows 11. So, today, this article will reveal how to sideload Android apps (APK) in Windows 11.

With Windows 11, you will be able to take full use of the OS’s interoperability by downloading and installing Android apps on your computer just like any other software. Luckily, you can sideload any Android software if you have its APK file since Windows Subsystem for Android runs Linux kernels and Android OS on top of Windows 11.

Getting your Machine Ready

To ensure everything runs properly, you must ensure that “Virtualization” is allowed on your PC before you go straight into sideloading Android apps onto your device.
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc to check the current state of “Virtualization” on your computer. A Task Manager window will appear on your screen when you click this.
Then, from the screen’s top area, pick the “Performance” item. Ensure that the “CPU” item is chosen on the left sidebar. Now check the bottom right corner for the “Virtualization” mark; if it is followed by the “Enable” tag, continue to the next line of the story.
If your device’s virtualization feature is not already active, you must activate it from the BIOS menu.
To achieve this, use the Start Menu to shut down your computer; then, pause a short while before turning it back on. At the first indication that your computer is opening, push the Del or F2 or F10 key to access the BIOS menu.
Using the left/right arrow keys or, if your system allows it in the BIOS settings, the mouse, navigate to the “Advanced” tab next. Then, using the arrow keys or the mouse button, locate the “Virtualization” field. In order to set the value to “Enabled,” hit Enter or Space.
To reserve the changes, you need to hit the F10 key now. Finally, utilizing the arrow buttons, choose the “Yes” alternative from the menu, and press “Enter” to restart the computer.

Your computer will now be able to use virtualization.

By using Android Platform Toolbox, configure Android apps

After you’ve turned on virtualization, you’ll need to get the Android SDK platform tools so you can sideload Android programs onto your Windows computer.

Go to developer.android.com/platform-tools in your favorite browser to start downloading platform utilities. Next, select “Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows” by scrolling down, then an overlay window will appear on your screen as a result.
Following that, scroll down and select the checkbox next to the statement “I have read and agree with the following terms and conditions.” Afterward, you have to select “Download Android SDK Platform-Tools for Windows” from the menu.
Once the file is downloaded, look for the folder in your normal downloads drive. After that, to unzip the folder, right-click on it and choose “Extract all.”
Then, using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C, navigate to the directory where the Android app’s .APK file is located, and copy it there. Next, use the shortcut Ctrl+V to paste the file into the extracted folder.

Furthermore

To find WSA, go to the Start Menu and enter “Windows Subsystem for Android.” After finding it in the search results, click on it to start.
Identify the “Developer mode” button in the WSA window, and then slide the next slider to the “On” position. You need to write down the IP address that appears on the tile.
When you return to the extracted folder, put cmd in the URL bar and press Enter to launch a Command Prompt window with the current directory configured.
Following that, run the following command to link to the Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

adb.exe connect <IP address>

To sideload or install the Android app on your Desktop pc, carry out the following command or copy it and paste it, and then hit Enter.

adb.exe install <filename>.apk

You will get a notice on the Command Prompt window after the software has been installed successfully.
Lastly, enter the name of the software you just installed into the Start menu to find it. Clicking on a search result will start it after the results have been loaded.

What Are APK Files and What Can They Do?

Known as APK, the Android Package is also popular by the names like Android Package Kit or you may also call it Android Application Package.

Android distributes and installs software using this file type. Therefore, an APK is a compressed file that accommodates all of the segments that are vital for an application to load correctly on your device.

Thus, you have understood that an APK is a specific sort of bundled file that contains executable files and their associated information. You’re undoubtedly already aware of ZIP and RAR, two different forms of archive files.

As a result of a large portion of Android being created in Java, it comes out that APKs are a subset of the JAR (Java Archive) file format. At their root, all APKs are ZIP files, but in order to work correctly, they need to have extra data.

What Purposes Do APK Files Serve?

Installing programs on an Android device is made possible through APK files. They resemble package files on other devices as well as the APPX files required to install Store apps on Windows. When you load an APK on your smartphone, it gives your device information about the package.

Usually, the store will immediately load the APK for you when you visit Google Play to acquire or upgrade an app. In this manner, the Play Store also serves the task of a package manager. A system that makes it simple to install, upgrade, and delete applications from a device.

Conclusion

That’s it, people. As long as you have the APK file to install it, you can sideload any Android software on your Windows computer using this method.