Here's how to install Play Store and other Google apps on Windows Subsystem for Android

xda-developers.com ^ | July 8, 2023 | SKANDA HAZARIKA

[fireman15]

Here's how to install Play Store and other Google apps on Windows Subsystem for Android

WSAGAScript is a tool that lets you easily patch the Windows Subsystem for Android to install the Google Play Store.

Windows Subsystem for Android is finally here. What's more interesting is that you can unofficially try it right now — even if you're not enrolled in the Beta channel of Windows 11. In case you're not happy with the mandatory Amazon Appstore integration, you should be happy to hear that the app sideloading process isn't difficult either. It is also possible to install a third-party Google Play Store client, but the lack of Google services in the Windows Subsystem for Android makes it a bit hard to use apps that are dependent on them, as we noted in our hands-on.

Unlike traditional Android devices, the Windows Subsystem for Android doesn't come with a user-accessible recovery environment. As a result, an end-user can't simply compile a custom recovery like TWRP for the Android Subsystem and straightaway install one of those popular GApps (short for Google Apps) packages. But what if you can directly patch the underlying system image with the necessary suite of Google apps and libraries to get the Play Store working? XDA Senior Member ADeltaX has now come with a solution named WSAGAScript that does exactly so.

Step 1: Install Windows Subsystem for Linux
Open the Windows Features tool by executing the optionalfeatures command from the Run prompt or a Terminal window. You can also click on the Start menu and search for the term “Turn Windows features on or off” to do the same.

In the new window, place checkmarks for the Virtual Machine Platform and the Windows Subsystem for Linux entries.

[fireman15]

Alright, this is a discussion intended for people who like to tinker with their computers to explore what else can be accomplished other than surfing the internet, creating documents, editing photos and video, and playing video games. It is not really about the merits of Windows vs Linux etc...

This article is about getting Windows 11’s highly touted Android integration to actually be semi-useful. The crippled Amazon Appstore that is included with the standard Windows Subsystem for Android™️ is a joke if anyone here has actually tried to use it.

The article is a step by step how to that likely will not give you the result that you are hoping for, but if you have followed through all the steps and it is not working... you can download a patched version that actually works and run the “Run.bat” file in the first directory of the unzipped patched version, found here:

https://github.com/YT-Advanced/WSA-Script/releases/tag/v2023-08-03

I downloaded and used the “WSA_2306.40000.4.0_x64_Release-Nightly-NoGApps-as-Pixel-5-RemovedAmazon.7z” file

With this one your Windows 11 environment thinks that it is a Pixel-5 cell phone. My guess is that this link probably will not work for very long. But it got me up and running after farting around with this for quite a while with little success because of various bugs in the WSAGAScript. The article was included because it lists all of the hoops you have to jump to get it to work. But who knows the WSAGAScript might be working right again very shortly.

After it all started working properly, I went to the Google Playstore in the newly created unhobbled version of the Android operating system in Windows 11 and downloaded the full version of the Amazon Appstore and added some apps that I owned there and also some of my favorite apps from the Google Playstore.

There actually are some semi-legitimate reasons for doing this. If you have gotten a little bored tinkering with various forms of Linux this is an interesting diversion, and strangely enough this involves adding a Linux command line system to Windows 11 as well. For an example of why a normal non-geek might enjoy this... The book readers in Linux and Windows are typically almost embarrassingly bad. I have some other Android apps that I like to use as well. You can also try out various apps that you are not sure you want to risk screwing your phone up with... into this environment to see how you like them.

I have multiple operating systems set up to boot on my laptop and multiple virtual machines installed, but this is a pretty good new toy to fool around with. I will tell you that that at this point an Android emulator such as BlueStacks is a far easier solution, but if you want a bit of a challenge you might just want to check this out.

[algore]

it is really annoying that google has to be involved at all.

I unfortunately was forced to get an android phone, but I do not have and never will have any kind of google account.

It was annoying to de-google it and I have to side load any app that I want to use.

Aurora Store kind of works, and you should be able to use it on the windows android subsys too

[fireman15]

Basically, all of the big tech companies are part of the evil nonsense that is going on these days. Android is Google’s baby but it gives almost endless opportunities for tinkering and violating your phone’s warranty as well. None of this type of activity is endorsed or makes them happy and probably most of it violates your terms of service in some way. So, you can be happy about that.

[srmanuel]

My question is why you would want to do this other than to show it’s possible

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I can’t figure out from the article if this is to run Android apps on Windows or Windows apps on Android.

I use Bluestacks to run Android apps on Windows.

https://www.bluestacks.com/bluestacks-5.html

[fireman15]

My question is why you would want to do this other than to show it's possible.

That is part of it, but there are some Android Apps such as some of my favorite e-book readers that work better than anything Windows has to offer. I also like being able to view my security cam video that are android based on a full sized monitor. And I could give you other examples as well. Android has apps that are quite useful and do not always have Windows equivalents, especially for free or low cost.

[srmanuel]

I can see that but for me, I don’t want the hassle or overhead of running all that extra software and I’ve installed VMware on servers quite a few times

[fireman15]

I use Bluestacks to run Android apps on Windows.

I have been using Bluestacks for years as well. But this has some minor advantages such as not being inundated with ads for idiotic video games every time you start it up. And there are some other advantages that I am just starting to discover. It is more like a completely clean version of Android.

Here is an article that does a better job of explaining. If you don't want to be inundated with ads it would be better to use the Brave browser to open it:

https://www.howtogeek.com/766547/why-windows-11s-android-apps-are-better-than-bluestacks/

[fireman15]

I can see that but for me, I don't want the hassle or overhead of running all that extra software and I've installed VMware on servers quite a few times.

Messing with operating systems and software is more like baking cookies for me. Cookies are not really good for you, but they do give some pleasure when eaten. I have a good time setting systems up and troubleshooting. We have a minor heat wave right now making it unpleasant to work on some outdoor projects that I need to get done. This is a diversion.

The subsystem is only started if you open one of the applications that uses it. After you are done, it can be easily shut back down. So, there is not necessarily a great deal of "overhead".

[srmanuel]

I guess but as someone who was in IT support for over 30 years I’m not messing with the OS unless I’m getting paid for it

[fireman15]

It is the same way that I feel about some of my former duties as a Fire Officer. Your input is welcome, but as I said in my first post, “this is a discussion intended for people who like to tinker with their computer”.

[bigbob]

I’m all for tinkering but as we know, Windows is not “ours”, it’s Microsoft’s and they allow us to use it under their terms. Google-owned Android is just pure shite. If you don’t believe me, feel free to make an offer on the 6” tall pile of useless Android tablets I’ve bought over the years that ultimately self-destruct and can’t be restored, despite many hours of dinking around in with Android Studio, apk-bridge and all the rest of their tools. You can’t restore a turd.

[fireman15]

You seem like a glass half empty kind of person.

The best way to make Windows or Android “yours” is to actually get the devices or operating systems to do what you want it to. I appreciate the customization opportunities with Android but many have difficulty dealing with many of the Linux distros various eccentricities.

I never get rid of any electronic item because we have lots of storage space and I occasionally like to go back and play with my old devices. So, I have a large collection going back to the late 1970s including some very rare and interesting items. I appreciate each and every item for what they are.

All of the Android and Windows tablets that I still have with the exception of a Barns and Noble Nook with a bad digitizer are mostly still working. Of course, the weak point in nearly all old portable electronics are the batteries and the capacitors in the power supplies.

[MountainWalker]

Google doesn’t really “own” android. Most androids come bundled with Google Play Services since most people use them, but you don’t have to. If your bootloader is unlocked (admittedly uncommon since OEM’s don’t want to warranty accidentally bricked phones), you can install a custom, completely degoogled android OS like Graphene or Lineage.

It’s not android’s fault that some fly by night Chinese companies installed it on basically disposable tablets. That’s like blaming gasoline for the Ford Pinto falling apart in your driveway.

[IndispensableDestiny]

My question is why you would want to do this other than to show it’s possible

My team at one point was developing Android situational awareness apps. We had Android running on phones, of course, but also in virtual machines on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. Cool thing was that all the networking worked as it was supposed to on just Android.

[Tell It Right]

My question is why you would want to do this other than to show it’s possible

You don't understand code-jockeys. Sometimes the only motivation needed is the challenge. I got most of that out of my system decades ago, but I'm still guilty of it every now and then. LOL

[srmanuel]

I spent over 30 years in IT support I’ve installed VMware on many servers I told another FReeper I only do things like this if I’m getting paid

Seriously, even though in my work career was in IT I always wanted to keep it simple

[srmanuel]

I was in IT for over 30 years like you it’s out of my system

[Dead Corpse]

27 years here...

If you stop playing with the toys... you stop learning.

Just sayin’...

[srmanuel]

I take up my time with Ham Radio and becoming really good at Microsoft Excel by playing fantasy football on DraftKings. I haven’t stopped playing with toys just concentrating on things for fun instead of work.