Not everyone knows this, but Windows 11 has an exciting tool. The Windows Subsystem for Android, or WSA for short, is a Windows 11 feature that allows you to run Android games and apps on your computer. This feature will get another major update soon.
On GitHub, Microsoft officials said the update is rolling out through all Windows Insider channels, though it’s unclear when it will appear on all Windows 11 PCs with Subsystem enabled. The new subsystem version number 2211.40000.7.0 updates the system to Android 13.
This will introduce new features and tools for developers and a few minor system features. Many of the features of Android 13, such as the updated media notifications player and taskbar for larger screens, do not affect the virtualized Android subsystem.
In addition to the new version of Android, the update also adds a new command to turn off the WSA. This will help improve automation and different scenarios for its use. Also, the boot time has been improved, and Microsoft reports that the boot time has improved by as much as 50 percent acceleration in 10 percent of devices. Click-through typing, clipboard, application resizing, and opening media files should also work better.
The new update also adds support for shortcuts from Android apps. Now, if Android has shortcuts available, they will be able to appear in the list of shortcuts when the taskbar icon is clicked.
There’s no firm information yet on when all other Windows 11 users will have access to this update. It will likely happen right after the Preview Program and Windows Insiders Program bug testing is completed. The update drops several items from Microsoft’s WSA improvement checklist and follows an update to Android 12.1 earlier this year.
