How to install Google Play Store on Windows 11

By Justin Jones On Oct 4, 2022

How to install Google Play Store on Windows 11? Are you dissatisfied with the Android capabilities of Windows 11? Here’s how to install the Google Play Store on Windows 11.

Through the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), it is possible to natively execute Android applications on Windows 11; nevertheless, this option is not without its drawbacks. The new operating system will only natively support the Amazon Appstore, not the Google Play Store. Even if it is possible to sideload Android apps, anything that does not work properly is something that requires Google Play Services.

However, you may get around this limitation by installing the Google Play Store on your Windows 11 computer. This will show you how to do it.

Table of Contents

How to Install Google Play Store on Windows 11

On Windows 11, as was previously mentioned, it is possible to sideload and run Android applications. Finding APKs and installing them via the Command Prompt can be a time-consuming and difficult process. In order to install Android applications, you will also need to configure the Android Debug Bridge or ADB.

Installing an updated version of the Google Play Store that is fully functional will fix this issue. Additionally, this enables you to execute applications that are depending on Google Play Services.

However, it is a difficult operation that requires downloading a number of separate little files and then rearranging them in different locations. Thankfully, a guy on GitHub by the name of Yujinchang08 has streamlined this procedure by creating a unique WSA installer.

The WSA installer is comprised of a modified version of the WSA package that integrates Magisk and Open GApps. Magisk is software for gaining root access, and Open GApps provides the most recent versions of Google Apps packages.

For the sake of this tutorial, we are going to concentrate on the second technique for installing Google Play Store on Windows 11. So, let’s begin.

Take note that installing third-party changed files and packages is a necessary step in this process, which carries with it the potential for risk. Make sure you have a backup by using the recovery drive or creating a restore point in Windows 11. In the event that something goes wrong, you can use these recovery options to assist you to undo the changes or repair the system.

Step 1: Uninstall Android Subsystem for Android

You can delete Windows Subsystem for Android from the Apps & features section of the Settings menu if you currently have it installed.

To uninstall WSA:

To open the Settings panel, press the Win key and the I key.
Launch the Apps tab located in the left pane of the interface.
Next, select the Apps & Features option from the menu.
Find the Windows Subsystem for Android entry under the App list, and then click on it.
After clicking the three dots, select the Uninstall option. To finalize the action, click the Uninstall button once more.

Step 2: Enable Developer Mode in Windows 11

Sideloading applications and accessing other developer features, such as remote app installation over SSH services, are both possible when Developer Mode is enabled.

To enable Developer Mode:

To open the Settings app, press the Win key and the I key together.
Launch the Privacy and Security tab located in the left pane of the settings menu.
To get the information intended for developers, use the menu on the right.
To activate Developer Mode, simply turn the switch to the On position. To validate the operation, click the Yes button

Step 3: Enable Virtual Machine to Run Android Apps

In order to run Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11, you will need to enable and configure the Virtual Machine Platform as well as the Windows Hypervisor Platform. If you have already installed WSA in the past, you can skip this step.

In order to configure the Virtual Machine, you should:

To open the search bar, press the Win key and the S key.
Enter Windows Features into the search bar, and after the search results appear, select the option to Turn Windows features on or off.
Make your selections in the Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform windows located in the Windows Features window.
Simply clicking the OK button will save the changes you’ve made, and Windows will install the features you’ve chosen. To make the modifications take effect on your computer, restart it.

If the update was successful, a notice informing you of its status will appear during the restart

Step 4: Download Integrated Windows Subsystem for Android Package

You can retrieve the updated version of the WSA installer from a repository hosted on GitHub, where it is available for download. The procedure is as follows.

Update: The link to download MagiskOnWSA that was previously provided has been removed by GitHub at this time. If and when it is restored, this page will be updated to reflect the change.

Simply navigate to the MagiskOnWSA repository and login in using your GitHub credentials. If you do not already have an account, you will need to create one now.
After that, navigate to the top-right corner of your GitHub page and select the Fork option. Wait until you see the Forked from the menu after this process has been completed. It could take a few seconds.
To access the actions, select that tab.
If you receive a prompt stating that the workflows aren’t being run on the forked repository, click the “I understand my workflows” button, and then proceed to enable the workflows.
Under All workflow, select either Build WSA or Magisk from the drop-down menu on the Actions tab.
To begin the workflow, select the Run button located in the right pane.
A download link for the Magisk APK will appear in the pop-up window that appears.
Next, under Variants of GApps, type pico into the search bar. If you are knowledgeable about what you are doing, you may also select alternatives.
To begin the workflow, select the option labeled Run. You should get a status message indicating that the workflow run was requested successfully.
The completion of this process may require some time, but it should only take a few minutes at most. When you have finished the task, a tick in green to indicate its completion will appear.
To finish building WSA or Magisk, click the corresponding label.
Continue scrolling down until you reach the Artifacts section. It is expected that the ARM and X64 versions will appear here.
In accordance with the version of your CPU, select the link that corresponds to the proper WSA with Magisk GApps (ARM or X64). It’s possible that downloading the package can take a while if you have a slow Internet connection.

Step 5: Install Google Play Store on Windows 11

After the download is finished, proceed with the installation of Windows Subsystem for Android and Google Play Store by following these steps.

Select “Extract” from the context menu when you right-click on the WSA-with-magisk-GApps-pico 1.8.32828.0 x64 Release-Nightly zip folder that you downloaded. Select a location, and then get the content out of there.
Launch Magic GApps and then open the WSA folder.
Find the Install.ps1 file that is contained within the folder.
Simply right-click on the file, and then select the PowerShell option from the context menu.
To verify the action, click the Open button. The PowerShell script will run, and it will display a message indicating that the operation was completed successfully.
You might see a few notifications about newly installed programs. The PowerShell window will then be closed after the Windows Subsystem for Android and the Google Play Store have been installed by the script.
Simply allowing the Windows Subsystem for Android package to connect to your network requires you to click on the Allow access for Windows Security Alert button.
After that, to open the Windows search bar, press the Win key and the S key simultaneously.
Simply enter Windows Subsystem for Android into the search bar, and then select it from the list of results.
It is imperative that the Developer Mode be turned on.
After that, to restart the subsystem, select Developer Mode from the drop-down menu, and then click on Manage Developer Settings.
If prompted by Windows Firewall, click the Allow or Yes button.
When you select Start from the menu, you should see an icon for the Play Store app.
Launch the Play Store, and sign in with the Google account you normally use. When you log in to Google Play Services, the service may perform various tasks, including recurring contact synchronization.

You can now download Android apps from the Google Play Store and install them on Windows 11. However, due to licensing and region restrictions, it is possible that some apps will still not function as intended.

Installing the Google Play Store on Windows 11

Android emulators are a nuisance that can be avoided if Windows 11 has the capability to natively run Android applications. With the addition of support for the Play Store, it is now possible to install the vast majority of Android apps without resorting to sideloading.

Having said that, you are able to sideload applications onto your Windows 11 computer by making use of the Command Prompt or WSA Tools. These applications cannot be found in the Play Store.

FAQs

When using Windows, how do I download the Google Play store?

To access Google Play Games, please visit play.google.com. For downloading, please click Download. Launch the downloaded file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. In some cases, installation may only take a few minutes.

Can the play store be used with Windows 11?

The stable release of Windows 11 now supports Android apps, but this is only the case in the United States as of February 2022. Your computer meets the requirements for running Android apps if it can run Windows 11. Please ensure that all available Windows updates have been installed before continuing.

Can Windows 11 run Android apps?

The Windows Subsystem for Android in Windows 11 is a platform for dual-booting Android and Windows applications on the same computer. While the Amazon Appstore is the only official source for app installations, you can sideload Android apps using the Android Debugging Bridge (ADB) tools.