Android AAB support is coming to Windows 11
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Key notes
- Amazon has recently stated that the app store will support the new Android app bundles just in time for the launch of Windows 11.
- As you know Android apps will be available through the Microsoft Store, but the download process will be done through the Amazon Appstore.
- Android APK apps are not being discontinued, and Android will continue to support the existing format, as far as we know.
- Most apps available within the Amazon Appstore will automatically work on Windows 11 with the developer’s permission.
Recently, Amazon has announced that the app store will support the new Android app bundles just in time for the launch of Windows 11.
As you know, Google will change the app format starting with August, so there is still enough time for developers.
Microsoft will continue as planned, with the upcoming Windows 11 Android apps with Windows Subsystem for Android and Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Amazon promises AAB support for Windows 11
To be more clear, these Android apps will be available through the Microsoft Store, but the actual download process will be done through the Amazon Appstore, as we discussed weeks ago.
Another big change is also pending for the Android apps themselves, meaning that at the end of June, Google confirmed that app developers would be obliged to use the new standard Android App Bundle (AAB) instead of the Android Application Package (APK).
As stipulated by Google, this policy applies to new apps on the Play Store and developers will need to abandon the current APK file format for new apps.
Thus, Amazon is now preparing for the new Google format, for which Microsoft, theoretically, should have already incorporated the support.
According to a short FAQ that has been published on one of the Amazon blogs, the Amazon Appstore promises to offer Android AAB support in good time before the release of Windows 11.
Amazon Appstore is actively working to support the new format, which will provide benefits such as smaller app size downloads for customers and on-demand downloads for features and assets.
Know that, technically, Android APK apps are not being discontinued as Android will continue to support the existing format.
What’s more likely is that developers will stop publishing their apps in APK format after Google begins enforcing AAB for its Play Store. In other words, this new format will eventually replace APK as the standard publishing format.
Most apps available within the Amazon Appstore will automatically work on Windows 11 with the developer’s permission.
A bit different from the Play Store, App Bundles won’t be required by Amazon, but developers can soon publish their App Bundles in their Store if they want to easily distribute the same app package across the Play Store and Amazon Appstore.
What is your take on this whole Amazon-Windows collaboration for Android apps? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
