Update (Jan 11 1:30 pm ET): Android 13 arrives on the Windows Insider program.
What you need to know
- Microsoft has launched a preview for Android 13 in the Windows 11 Subsystem for Android.
- The preview includes several improvements and fixes for the Windows Subsystem.
- Users can sign up to receive Android 13 via the Windows Subsystem for Android Preview program.
Windows 11 users can now run Android 13 on their computers as part of a preview program for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA).
The preview was quietly announced a couple of weeks ago on Github (via Thurrott) but went largely unnoticed. The update (2211.40000.7.0) includes performance improvements and fixes for the subsystem alongside upgrading WSA to Android 13.
The changelog includes the following:
- Windows subsystem for Android updated to Android 13
- Added a new command that shuts down WSA for automation
- Improvements in boot performance (50%, P10 case)
- Improvements to mouse click input
- Improvements in clipboard stability
- Improvements to application resizing
- Upgraded to Intel bridge technology for Android 13
- Reliability improvements to media files opening in Windows
- Jumplist entries for applications supporting app shortcuts
For those unfamiliar with the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), it allows Windows 11 computers to run Android applications. Users can download official Android apps from the Amazon Appstore, but it's also possible to sideload Android apps on Windows 11 if the one you want isn't available on the Appstore.
To Android 13 on your computer, you must sign up for the Windows Subsystem for Android preview program, which is separate from the typical Windows Insider program. You must also meet certain requirements, including having the Amazon Appstore installed on your computer, having at least 8GB of RAM, and an x64 or ARM64 processor. You can sign up on Microsoft's preview page.
Android 13 is among several upgrades that Microsoft has in store for WSA. Other features like file transfers and picture-in-picture support are among the features currently in Microsoft's roadmap for WSA.
It's unclear when Android 13 will reach every Windows 11 user, but hopefully we won't have to wait long. WSA was only recently updated to Android 12L earlier this year.
Update
After a short preview period was launched in December, Microsoft announced this week that it's pushing the Android 13 update to the Windows Subsystem for Android for users on the Insider Program, regardless of their channel. The update (2211.40000.11.0) is a slight bump over the preview build and brings many of the same improvements to WSA.
If you weren't part of the preview and are enrolled in the Insider program, you can update your Windows 11 PC by visiting the Windows Subsystem for Android listing in the Microsoft Store.
