It is that time of the month for Microsoft to roll out its update for the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. Back in July, we got a bumper release with new features, while August was more muted with general improvements. For September, Microsoft is going somewhere in the middle.
While there are no new features, the improvements to Windows Subsystem for Android are worth discussing. Specifically, Microsoft says startup times should now be better. It is unclear exactly what this will mean for users. Hopefully, Android apps will now be noticeably quicker to start.
Elsewhere, the company says it has fixed errors where some apps were not working because of “App Not Responding (ANR) bugs. Other improvements include smoother scrolling in apps and general usability improvements for the Settings app within Windows Subsystem for Android.
It is worth noting the update is currently in preview for the Windows Insider Program. You will need to be running Windows 11 to get Windows Subsystem for Android version 2208.40000.4.0. At the moment, the update is only available in Japan and the United States.
Full Changelog
- Reliability fixes for App Not Responding (ANR) errors
- Improvements to input compatibility shims
- Improvements to scrolling (smoothness) in apps
- Usability Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Android Settings app
- Startup performance improvements
- Fixed crashes when copying and pasting extremely large content
- UX improvements for the game controls dialog
- Improvements to networking
- General graphics improvements
- Improvements for gamepad when using multiple apps
- Improved performance of uninstalling apps
- Fixed video playback issue for apps
- Updated to Chromium WebView 104
- Linux kernel security updates
If you are unfamiliar with WSA, it is the system that allows Windows 11 to support Android apps natively.
When Microsoft initially announced Windows 11 in June, one of the big announcements was support for Android apps, the company’s latest effort to address the App Gap. This is thanks to a collaboration between Microsoft and the Amazon App Store.
Tip of the day: Windows now has a package manager similar to Linux called “Winget”. In our tutorial, we show you how to install and use this new tool that allows the quick installation of apps via PowerShell or a GUI.
