Windows 11 update brings Android apps to your PC
Update also adds Dark Mode to Notepad, and more
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
NewWindows 11updates are rolling out now with improvements to the Notepad and Media Player apps as well as introducinglimited Android app supportthrough theMicrosoftStore.
For theAndroid apps, theMicrosoft Storewill soon be integratingAmazon’s Appstore marketplace, which will introduce thousands of Android apps into theWindows 11environment for the first time.
“Today we are adding over 1,000 more apps and games in partnership with the Amazon Appstore,” Panos Panay, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer for Windows and Devices,said in a Microsoft blog post. “Windows 11 users in the U.S. can access the Amazon Appstore Preview1 in the Microsoft Store, and popular apps like Audible,Kindle, Subway Surfers, Lords Mobile, Khan Academy Kids and many more.”
To update the Microsoft Store to access these apps, open the Microsoft Store app, navigate to the Library tab, and click Get Updates.
This will also update two of Windows most popular apps, Notepad and Media Player.
Media Player will replace the Groove app and isoptimized for accessibilitywith improved keyboard shortcuts and access keys for dedicated keyboard users as well as those using other assistive devices and technology. The update automatically migrates over any music and playlists you might have in the Groove app, so you don’t need to worry about losing anything in the process.
As for Notepad, Microsoft finally brings theWindows 11 Dark Modeinterface to the iconic text editing app. If your system is set to dark mode, Notepad will automatically adopt the theme, so you don’t need to do anything.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
In addition to the new theme, the Notepad update also makes some under-the-hood improvements to the app experience. “Menus have also been simplified to make it easier to find the actions you want to take in the app,” Panay said, “and we’ve added new highly requested features like multi-level undo, colorful emojis, and a modern and efficient find-and-replace experience.”
Analysis: Windows 11 updates promise a better experience, and it’s about time
There’s no question thatWindows 11 has had a bit of a tough roll out. Aswe noted this morning, the latest beta Windows 11 update for theWindows Insidershas some real issues with CPU overheating (while fixing other issues like inaccurate taskbar tooltips), so things are still being ironed out.
Of course,Windows 10had similar problems when it was first introduced years ago, so it’s not like any of this is surprising. But a lot of these issues have kept users from making the jump fromWindows 10 to Windows 11, including yours truly.
Offering new and improved features should go a long way to helping spur adoption, though, which will hopefully help sus out bugs and improve the overall Windows 11 experience for everyone.
John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY.
Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.
You can find him online on Threads @johnloeffler.
Currently playing: Baldur’s Gate 3 (just like everyone else).
Windows 11’s Paint and Notepad apps are getting smart new AI features – though one of the best will be for Copilot+ PCs only
Windows 11 24H2 misery continues, as Microsoft’s buggy update is now breaking printers – especially on Copilot+ PCs
Latest Google Pixel update includes surprise launch of Android 15’s best battery feature
