How to Install Google Play Store in Windows 11 and Run Android Apps (2025)
You might have used BlueStacks on your Windows PC to run Android apps. However, Microsoft also has a Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) that allows you to run Android apps in Windows 11 natively. By default, WSA supports the Amazon App Store for Android apps, not the Google Play Store. No matter how good the Amazon App Store is, it won’t be as vast as the Google Play Store. While it is unofficial, you can still install the Google Play Store in Windows 11 and run Android apps using the customized WSA.
Thanks to the MagiskOnWSALocal project by LSPosed, you can now run a customized version of Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) with Google Play Store on Windows 11. MustardChef on Github has done a great job compiling the MagiskOnWSALocal to the installation packages. Using this package, you can easily install the Google Play Store on Windows 11 in a few steps.
SEE ALSO: How to Join Windows Insider Program on Windows 11?
Install Google Play Store using Custom WSA on Windows 11 and Run Android Apps and Games
First things first. You would need to take care of a few things before you proceed. First off, if you have Windows Subsystem for Android already installed on your Windows 11 PC, you need to uninstall it.
Besides that, you would also need to enable some Optional Windows Features in Windows 11 which has been explained below. So, follow these steps to install the Google Play Store in Windows 11 and get it working.
Step 1: Enable Developer Mode on your Windows 11 PC
We would also need to enable Developer Mode on Windows 11 to use customized WSA. So, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > For Developers and turn on the toggle for Developer Mode
SEE ALSO:
1. How to Access Developer Mode and Factory Reset your MacBook?
2. How to Enable Developer Mode on Chromebook?
3. How to Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging in Android?
Step 2: Enable Required Windows Features for WSA
After enabling Developer Mode, we also need to enable a couple of optional Windows Features. To do that, launch the RUN utility, type optionalfeatures
and press Enter to launch the Windows Features window.
After that, enable the checkboxes for Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform and click OK. These features are mandatory for installing Google Play Store on Windows 11. You must also enable Virtualization in BIOS in order to enable these features.
You may also need to restart your PC after the feature installation.
NOTE: If you do not enable these features or disable them after installing WSA, you won’t be able to run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC. They will fail to run with error.
SEE ALSO: How to Enable Hyper-V and Create Virtual Machine in Windows 11?
Step 3: Download the Customized WSA with GAPPS from Github
Now that we have the basic requirements fulfilled, it’s time to download the customized version of Windows Subsystem for Android from Github.
So, go to the MustardChef’s WSABuilds repository and scroll down to the bottom of the page to view download links. Here, you can see various WSA versions available for download. Select the one best suited for you.
We have downloaded the first one without Magisk. However, if you want the root access on your WSA, you can select the one with Magisk. You may also select the package with or without the Gapps, but you won’t get the Play Store functionality with these packages.
Now, wait for the download to complete. Once it is downloaded, go to your Downloads folder to check the downloaded file.
Step 4: Extract the Downloaded Custom WSA Package
The downloaded package is in the 7-zip format. So, you would need the 7-zip utility to extract it. Download and install the 7-zip utility from the official website.
After that, right-click on the downloaded WSA zip file and select Show More Options > 7-Zip > Extract to “WSA_….”.
Now, wait while the package is being extracted. After extracting, you will see a folder with a name similar to “WSA_XXX…”.
Step 5: Install Custom WSA with Google Play Store on Windows 11
NOTE: If you already have Windows Subsystem for Android installed, make sure to uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Apps & Features.
Open the extracted folder and find Install.ps1 file. It is a PowerShell script that automatically installs customized WSA with the Google Play Store on your Windows 11 PC.
You can’t directly run this PowerShell script using the Run with PowerShell option because the script execution policy does not allow running external scripts.
So, we will have to bypass the Execution Policy to run this Install.ps1 script. To do that, right-click on the blank space and select Open in Terminal.
Now, type the following command to run the Install.ps1 script and install the Google Play Store on your Windows 11 PC.
PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Install.ps1
You might be prompted for Admin permissions, click Yes when you see the UAC prompt. After that, you may also see a confirmation message in the PowerShell window. Type y
or a
and press Enter to continue.
After installation is complete, you can press any key to close the PowerShell window.
Step 6: Launch Google Play Store from Start in Windows 11
After successful installation, the Windows Subsystem for Android window will show up. You may also see some other pop-ups, close them all.
Normally, the Google Play Store should launch automatically. However, you can also launch it from the Start if it doesn’t.
The Google Play Store will ask you to sign in with your Google account to install and run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC.
SEE ALSO: How to Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL-2) in Windows 11?
Step 7: Install Android Apps on Windows 11 via Google Play Store
Now, after you have successfully signed in to your Google account in the Play Store, you can install your favorite Android apps. So, open the Play Store and search for your favorite app. In this tutorial, we are installing the Candy Crush Saga Android game.
While the app is being installed, you will see a notification in the bottom-right corner showing the progress.
Step 8: Run Android Apps Natively on Windows 11
After installing the Android app, you can launch it directly from the Play Store by clicking the Play button. However, you can also search for it on Start and launch it from there.
Now, you can enjoy your favorite Android apps and games in Windows 11 without any Android Emulators.
Install Google Play Store and Enjoy Android Apps on Windows 11
Now, you can install and run your favorite Android apps from the Play Store on Windows 11. So, now you no longer need BlueStacks or any other Android emulator for using Android apps on a PC. Simply install and run Android apps directly on Windows 11 using the Google Play Store.
Hope you liked this guide. Do share your Play Store and Android experience on Windows 11 with us in the comment section down below.