What you need to know

• Microsoft released an update for the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 this week.

• The update improves the reliability of the platform and makes the clipboard work better and more consistently when using Android apps on a PC.

• ARM applications on x64 processors should also run better now, thanks to a kernel update to improve compatibility.

Microsoft shipped an update for Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) on Windows 11 this week that improves the reliability of the platform. The update brings WSA to version 2308.40000.1.0.

The update is relatively minor, but it improves reliability in some key areas. Microsoft explained in its release notes on GitHub that there are platform reliability improvements across the board. Additionally, the clipboard should work better and more consistently following the update.

Here are all of the changes:

• Platform reliability improvements

• Localhost loopback support for "Local network access" experimental feature

• Clipboard reliability and performance improvements

• Kernel update to improve compatibility with running ARM applications on x64 processors

• Correctly report isInMultiWindowMode=false when an app is fullscreen

Read more

- Android apps on Windows should now be less sluggish
- Windows 11 can now launch Android apps quicker
- Android 13 is just one of the updates on the way to WSA
- Vulkan API support added to WSA

You don't have to be a Windows Insider to use Windows Subsystem for Android in preview. While today's update is small, Microsoft has been hard at work to improve Android apps on Windows 11. Vulkan support shipped in preview last month and Microsoft added support for file sharing and transferring files when using drag and drop as well as copy and paste.

While apps running through WSA don't deliver the same performance as native applications, the platform provides access to apps that aren't normally available on Windows. For example, the Threads Android app worked on Windows 11 PCs through the Windows Subsystem for Android before Meta released the web version of Threads. That Android app still works, of course, but the web version of Threads is better.