One of the most interesting announcements around Windows 11 was that Microsoft plans to support Android apps in its long-running OS, delivered and serviced by the Amazon Appstore. That's still true, but unfortunately our enthusiasm has been sufficiently curbed. As Microsoft announced the release date for Windows 11, it also said that Android app support would have to wait a while.

In a sprawling blog post, Microsoft revealed that Windows 11 will land on newly-sold PCs starting October 5th, with a free upgrade to existing Windows 10 users coming shortly thereafter. But neither of them will immediately get Android app integration with the Microsoft Store, as was so tantalizingly announced earlier this year. Instead the feature will be tested via the Windows Insider beta program "over the coming months," as spotted by The Verge.

That sounds like it'll be the tail end of 2021, or possibly well into 2022, before most Windows users have the option to try running Android apps on their laptops or desktops. It is, in technical terms, a bummer.

But it might just be worth the wait: the previewed functionality showed off Android app access for basically all Windows 11 machines, including AMD and ARM-powered models. And it's been confirmed that side-loading Android apps will be possible, for the many apps (and Google services) that aren't available on the Amazon Appstore.