To sideload apps, your PC must have Hardware Virtualization enabled. Additionally, your device’s region must be set to the United States. Refer to our tutorial on installing Android apps on Windows 11 for more details about these requirements. You can sideload Android apps in Windows 11 either through Command Prompt or third-party Android installers. We’ll show you how to do both.
Sideload Android Apps in Windows Using Command Prompt
First, you’ll need to set up the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) and Android Debugging Bridge (ADB) on your computer. Visit the SDK Platform Tools page on the Android developer website on your web browser and follow the steps below. If the IP address remains unavailable, select Manage developer settings, wait for 10-20 seconds, and select the Refresh button again. That helped reveal our test computer’s Windows Subsystem for Android’s IP address. Close and reopen Windows Subsystem for Android if the IP address remains unavailable after refreshing multiple times. cd C:\Users\Lenovo\Desktop\platform-tools_r33.0.2-windows\platform-tools adb connect 192.163.6.172 We’re sideloading the Subway Surfers app on our Windows 11 computer, so we’ll run this command: adb install subway-surfers.apk. Command Prompt will display a “Performing Streamed Install” message when installing the app. Check your PC’s app list for the sideloaded app when you get a “Success” message. The app should appear as a recently added item in the “Recommended” section of the Start Menu. If you’re having difficulties sideloading APK files, close the Command Prompt and Android Subsystem, and restart the process from scratch. Remember to move the APK file you want to sideload to the platform-tools folder.
Sideload Android Apps on Windows 11 Using WSATools
WSATools is third-party software that lets you sideload Android apps in Windows 11 without running Command Prompt commands. Download the APK file of the Android file you want to sideload and follow the steps below. WSATools should display a success message when the installation is complete. Open your PC’s Start Menu to launch the newly installed applications. If WSATools gets stuck on the installation progress page, close and reopen WSATools, and try again.
Your PC Isn’t an Android Device
So, in the near future, you may barely need to sideload or install apps from unofficial sources. Until then, use the tools and techniques in this tutorial to run Android apps on your Windows PC.
