Apps by Arlomedia

BandHelper => Announcements => Topic started by: arlo on November 11, 2022, 05:14:03 PM

Title: App Versions for Windows
Post by: arlo on November 11, 2022, 05:14:03 PM
Microsoft's long-awaited plans to support Android apps in Windows 11 are finally coming together, to the point where I've been able to test BandHelper and Set List Maker on a Windows laptop. Here are the issues I've seen in testing (updated 2024-01-16):


Given these limitations, I wondered if this had any advantages over existing Android emulators, so I downloaded and tried Bluestacks 5. Here's how they compare:


I'll be watching for any changes to these functional limitations. Meanwhile, you can install BandHelper or Set List Maker by opening the Microsoft Store app and installing the Amazon Appstore app, which installs the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). Then you can open the Amazon Appstore app and search for BandHelper or Set List Maker.

You can learn more about WSA, including system requirements, here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/install-mobile-apps-and-the-amazon-appstore-on-windows-f8d0abb5-44ad-47d8-b9fb-ad6b1459ff6c

The countries where this is available are listed here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/countries-and-regions-that-support-amazon-appstore-on-windows-d8dd17c7-5994-4187-9527-ddb076f9493e

By the way, the laptop I'm testing with is a Lenovo Yoga 6 with 16 GB of RAM. Performance is good. In fact, my apps seem to run faster than native Windows apps -- probably because they are optimized for mobile devices.
Title: Re: App Versions for Windows
Post by: arlo on January 16, 2024, 12:12:00 PM
When I first posted this, exchanging files between the Android and Windows environments was not possible, so I did not release Set List Maker for Windows. This is now possible with a new "experimental" setting, so I have released Set List Maker for Windows and updated the instructions above.
Title: Re: App Versions for Windows
Post by: arlo on March 11, 2024, 01:31:20 PM
Bad news: last week, with no warning, Microsoft killed this program. They said people who had already downloaded Android apps to Windows can continue using them, but new installations are no longer possible:

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2256353/microsoft-is-killing-android-apps-on-windows-11.html

I think the "no longer supported" language means I will no longer be able to release app updates after March 5, 2025. I'm guessing installed apps will still open after that date, but will eventually become broken in various ways until the option is no longer practical.

This means using Bluestacks or other emulators is again the only option for my apps on Windows. I was more willing to invest time into supporting an official solution from Microsoft, so it's a shame that is ending already.