Windows 10 might soon be able to run Android apps

A Google Android figurine stood on a wooden table

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Windows 10 might soon be able to run Android thanks to a new piece of software that Microsoft is reportedly developing.

Called Project Latte, the software could enable Android apps to run on Microsoft’s operating system with little or no code changes. These apps could be packaged as an MSIX package, a Windows app format that is used to install applications on the OS.

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According to Windows Central, Project Latte is similar to WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), which brought Linux applications to the Windows 10 operating system. It claims the tech could appear as soon as late 2021, and that Android apps could be offered through the Microsoft Store for quick deployment.

The project would go beyond previous efforts by Microsoft to bring Android apps to the platform. It already has Your Phone, which streams apps from Samsung phones to Windows 10. However, that requires a phone to be tethered to a Windows PC; Project Latte would no longer require such actions.

The report noted that such apps would not be able to use Google Play Services support as Google restricts this to native Android and Chrome OS devices. This means that Android apps would have to be changed to remove these bits of code before being able to run on Windows 10.

This is not the first time that Microsoft has attempted to bring Android apps to Windows. In 2016, the company pulled the plug on Project Astoria, a tool to allow app developers to port their existing iOS or Android app with minimal or even no code changes.

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.