Unlock the Best Android Apps on Your PC: A Step-By-Step Guide to Installing Google Play Store on Windows 11!

Do you want to enjoy your favorite Android apps on your Windows 11 PC? Well, you are in luck because in this article, we will guide you through a step-by-step process to install Google Play Store on your PC. By the end of this, you’ll be able to enjoy all your favorite apps right on your laptop or desktop, hassle-free.

Step One: Download the Latest Version of BlueStacks

The first step in installing Google Play Store on Windows 11 is to download the latest version of BlueStacks, an Android emulator app. Head to the official BlueStacks website and download the latest version, then install it on your PC. Remember to agree to the terms and conditions and follow the installation prompts.

Step Two: Open and Configure BlueStacks

After installation, open BlueStacks on your PC, sign in to your Google account, and set up your preferences. This will personalize your BlueStacks emulator and provide you with access to Google Play Store.

Step Three: Install Google Play Services

Before installing Google Play Store, it’s essential to install Google Play Services on BlueStacks. Install the Google Play Services APK by opening a web browser, searching for “Google Play Services APK,” and downloading it. After downloading, drag it to the BlueStacks window open on your computer, drop it on the BlueStacks home screen, and follow the instructions provided.

Step Four: Install Google Play Store

Now that Google Play Services are installed, it’s time to install Google Play Store. To do this, search for “Google Play Store APK.” Once you’ve found the right download source, download the APK and drag it into the BlueStacks window. Once the download is complete, the App will be installed.

Step Five: Launch Google Play Store

After installing Google Play Store, launch the app from BlueStacks, sign in to your Google account again, and set up your preferences. Now that you have Google Play Store on your PC, you can start browsing and downloading your favorite Android apps.

Conclusion: Enjoy Your Favorite Android Apps

In conclusion, installing Google Play Store on your Windows 11 PC is easy and straightforward. By following these simple steps, you can access all your favorite Android apps and enjoy them on your computer without any hassle. So, go ahead and start exploring the Google Play Store, and enjoy using your favorite apps on your PC, just like on your phone.

Bonus Tip: Update Your Apps

Downloading and installing Google Play services and Google Play Store enables users to access thousands of Android apps. However, it is important to keep your Android apps updated. This ensures that your apps are running smoothly and you have access to the latest features available. Enjoy!

On Windows 11, it’s now possible to install the Google Play Store in the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) to download and install Android apps on your computer through a workaround that includes many steps. 

It was just a matter of time until someone figured it out. You can now install Android apps from the Play Store on Windows 11, but not officially. Instead, a person using the ADeltaX handle on Twitter crafted a procedure to get around the original Windows Subsystem for Android to install the Google Play Store app, giving you access to the entire catalog of Android apps.

Although this is a welcome discovery, since the process isn’t supported, it’s unclear how it will affect future updates. In other words, this workaround may only be a temporary fix because it is still not clear what will happen after WSA receives an update through the Microsoft Store. Probably, anyone using this approach will have to redo the entire process. Of course, that’s unless you disable automatic app updates through the Microsoft Store.

In this video tutorial, we will demonstrate the process of installing the Google Play Store app on WSA to install Android apps on a Windows 11 machine.

Install Google Play Store on Windows 11

The Google Play Store installation process on the Windows Subsystem for Android to run Android apps on Windows 11 requires several steps, including downloading third-party tools, installing WSL, and running various commands using different tools.

Before processing, it’s important to uninstall any previous installation of the Windows Subsystem for Android. Otherwise, the instructions below won’t work.

Step one: Create setup folders

The process will require four working folders in the root of the drive where Windows 11 is installed.

To create the WSA working folders, use these steps:

  • Open File Explorer.
  • Click on This PC from the left pane.
  • Under the “Devices and drivers” section, double-click the main drive (C).
  • Click the New menu and select the Folder option.
  • Name the folder WindowsSubsystemAndroid and press Enter.
  • Click the New menu and select the Folder option.
  • Name the folder GAppsWSA and press Enter.
  • Click the New menu and select the Folder option.
  • Name the folder ADB and press Enter.
  • Click the New menu and select the Folder option.
  • Name the folder WSADownloads and press Enter.

Once you complete the steps, the necessary folders will be created, and you can continue downloading and setting up the working environment.

Open File Explorer.

Click on This PC from the left pane.

Under the “Devices and drivers” section, double-click the main drive (C).

Click the New menu and select the Folder option.

Name the folder WindowsSubsystemAndroid and press Enter.

Name the folder GAppsWSA and press Enter.

Name the folder ADB and press Enter.

Name the folder WSADownloads and press Enter.

Step two: Download and install required tools

To modify the original Windows Subsystem for Android to run the Google Play Store will require a few tools, including the original WSA package, the Open GApps tools, WSAGAScript scripts, ADB tools, and 7-zip. You will also need to install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and enable Developer mode on Windows 11.

To download the required tools, use these steps:

  • Open the Open GApps website.
  • Select the x86_64 platform option.
  • Select the Android 11 option.
  • Select the pico option variant.
  • Click the Download button to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.
  • Open the WSAGAScript website.
  • Click the Code menu.
  • Click the Download zip to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.
  • Open Android developer website.
  • Under the “Downloads” section, click the Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows link.
  • Check the option to accept the terms.
  • Under the “Downloads” section, click the “Download Android SDK Platform-Tools for Windows” button to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.
  • Open the adguard website.
  • Select the Productid option, paste this ID: 9p3395vx91nr, select the Slow option, and click the Check button.
  • Click the MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_1.7.32815.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle link to save the on the WSADownloads folder.

Install 7Zip on Windows 11

To install the 7-zip file manager app, use these steps:

Open the Open GApps website.

Select the x86_64 platform option.

Select the Android 11 option.

Select the pico option variant.

Click the Download button to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.

Open the WSAGAScript website.

Click the Code menu.

Click the Download zip to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.

Open Android developer website.

Under the “Downloads” section, click the Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows link.

Check the option to accept the terms.

Under the “Downloads” section, click the “Download Android SDK Platform-Tools for Windows” button to save the file on the WSADownloads folder.

Open the adguard website.

Select the Productid option, paste this ID: 9p3395vx91nr, select the Slow option, and click the Check button.

Click the MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_1.7.32815.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle link to save the on the WSADownloads folder.

  • Open Start.
  • Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to install 7-zip and press Enter:
  • winget install –id 7zip.7zip

Install Windows Subsystem for Linux 

To install WSL on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open Start.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to install 7-zip and press Enter:

winget install –id 7zip.7zip

  • Open Start.
  • Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to install WSL with the Ubuntu distro and press Enter:
  • wsl –install
  • Restart the computer to apply the settings.
  • Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the Ubuntu setup.

Enable Windows 11 Developer mode

To enable Developer mode on Windows 11, use these steps:

Type the following command to install WSL with the Ubuntu distro and press Enter:

wsl –install

Restart the computer to apply the settings.

Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the Ubuntu setup.

  • Open Settings.
  • Click on Privacy & security.
  • Click the For developers page on the right-side.
  • Turn on the Developer mode toggle switch.

After you complete all the above steps, you will have all the components to install the Play Store on the Android subsystem for Windows 11.

Open Settings.

Click on Privacy & security.

Click the For developers page on the right-side.

Turn on the Developer mode toggle switch.

Step three: Configure working environment

To configure the working environment to create a custom version of WSA, use these steps:

  • Open Start.
  • Search for 7-zip File Manager and click the top result to open the app.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WSADownloads path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Double-click the MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_1.7.32815.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle file.
  • Double-click the WsaPackage_1.7.32815.0_x64_Release-Nightly.msix file.
  • Select all the files in the location.
  • Click the Extract button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\ path and click the OK button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\ path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Select and click the Delete button for these files: AppxMetadata, AppxBlockMap.xml, AppxSignature.p7x, and [Content_Type].xml.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WSADownloads path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Double-click the WSAGAScript-main.zip file.
  • Double-click the WSAGAScript-main folder.
  • Select all the files in the location.
  • Click the Extract button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA\ path and click the OK button.
  • Select the open_gapps-x86_64-11.0-pico.zip file.
  • Click the Copy button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#GAPPS\ path and click the OK button.
  • Double-click the platform-tools_r31.0.3-windows zip file.
  • Select all the files in the location.
  • Click the Extract button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\ADB\ path and click the OK button.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\ path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Select and click the Copy button for these files: vendor.img, system_ext.img, system.img, and product.img.
  • Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#IMAGES\ path and click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, you will have all the components in place to install the Google Play Store app.

Search for 7-zip File Manager and click the top result to open the app.

Copy and paste the C:\WSADownloads path in the address bar and press Enter.

Double-click the MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_1.7.32815.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle file.

Double-click the WsaPackage_1.7.32815.0_x64_Release-Nightly.msix file.

Select all the files in the location.

Click the Extract button.

Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\ path and click the OK button.

Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\ path in the address bar and press Enter.

Select and click the Delete button for these files: AppxMetadata, AppxBlockMap.xml, AppxSignature.p7x, and [Content_Type].xml.

Double-click the WSAGAScript-main.zip file.

Double-click the WSAGAScript-main folder.

Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA\ path and click the OK button.

Select the open_gapps-x86_64-11.0-pico.zip file.

Click the Copy button.

Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#GAPPS\ path and click the OK button.

Double-click the platform-tools_r31.0.3-windows zip file.

Copy and paste the C:\ADB\ path and click the OK button.

Select and click the Copy button for these files: vendor.img, system_ext.img, system.img, and product.img.

Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#IMAGES\ path and click the OK button.

Step four: Install WSA with the Google Play Store app

To install the Android subsystem with the Google Play Store app on Windows 11, use these steps:

  • Open Start.
  • Search for Ubuntu, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to gain root access and press Enter:
  • sudo su
  • Type the following command to open the GAppsWSA folder and press Enter:
  • cd /mnt/c/GAppsWSA
  • Type the following command to download package information from all configured sources in the system and press Enter:
  • sudo apt-get update
  • Type the following command to install the dos2unix tool on Ubuntu and press Enter:
  • apt-get install dos2unix
  • Type the following command to install the lzip unzip tool and press Enter:
  • apt-get install unzip lzip
  • Type the following commands to convert the scripts to Unix format and press Enter (on each line):
  • dos2unix ./apply.sh
  • dos2unix ./extend_and_mount_images.sh
  • dos2unix ./extract_gapps_pico.sh
  • dos2unix ./unmount_images.sh
  • dos2unix ./VARIABLES.sh
  • Type the following command to execute the scripts and press Enter (on each line):
  • ./extract_gapps_pico.sh
  • ./extend_and_mount_images.sh
  • ./apply.sh
  • ./unmount_images.sh
  • Open File Explorer.
  • Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#IMAGES path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Select and click the Copy button for these files: vendor.img, system_ext.img, system.img, and product.img.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Click the Paste button and replace the files in the destination.
  • Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA\misc path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Select and click the Copy button for the Kernel file.
  • Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\Tools path in the address bar and press Enter.
  • Select and click the Rename button for the kernel file.
  • Rename the file kernel.bak and press Enter.
  • Click the Paste button to paste the new kernel file.
  • Open Start.
  • Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to install the Windows Subsystem for Android with the Google Play Store package and press Enter:
  • Add-AppxPackage -Register C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\AppxManifest.xml
  • Open Start.
  • Search for Windows Subsystem for Android and click the top result to open the app.
  • Turn on the Developer mode toggle switch.
  • Click the Manage developer settings option to start the platform.
  • Clear the Share my diagnostic data option.
  • Click the Continue button.
  • Open Start.
  • Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to open the ADB folder and press Enter:
  • cd C:\ADB
  • Type the following command to connect to the WSA and press Enter:
  • adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526
  • Type the following command to start the  shell and press Enter:
  • adb shell
  • Type the following command to get root access to the Android subsystem and press Enter:
  • su
  • Type the following command to unlock the Google Play Store app on Windows 11 and press Enter:
  • setenforce 0

Once you complete the steps, you can start and sign in to the Google Play Store to download and install Android apps on Windows 11.

Search for Ubuntu, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to gain root access and press Enter:

sudo su

Type the following command to open the GAppsWSA folder and press Enter:

cd /mnt/c/GAppsWSA

Type the following command to download package information from all configured sources in the system and press Enter:

sudo apt-get update

Type the following command to install the dos2unix tool on Ubuntu and press Enter:

apt-get install dos2unix

Type the following command to install the lzip unzip tool and press Enter:

apt-get install unzip lzip

Type the following commands to convert the scripts to Unix format and press Enter (on each line):

dos2unix ./apply.sh

dos2unix ./extend_and_mount_images.sh

dos2unix ./extract_gapps_pico.sh

dos2unix ./unmount_images.sh

dos2unix ./VARIABLES.sh

Type the following command to execute the scripts and press Enter (on each line):

./extract_gapps_pico.sh

./extend_and_mount_images.sh

./apply.sh

./unmount_images.sh

Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA#IMAGES path in the address bar and press Enter.

Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid path in the address bar and press Enter.

Click the Paste button and replace the files in the destination.

Copy and paste the C:\GAppsWSA\misc path in the address bar and press Enter.

Select and click the Copy button for the Kernel file.

Copy and paste the C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\Tools path in the address bar and press Enter.

Select and click the Rename button for the kernel file.

Rename the file kernel.bak and press Enter.

Click the Paste button to paste the new kernel file.

Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to install the Windows Subsystem for Android with the Google Play Store package and press Enter:

Add-AppxPackage -Register C:\WindowsSubsystemAndroid\AppxManifest.xml

Search for Windows Subsystem for Android and click the top result to open the app.

Click the Manage developer settings option to start the platform.

Clear the Share my diagnostic data option.

Click the Continue button.

Type the following command to open the ADB folder and press Enter:

cd C:\ADB

Type the following command to connect to the WSA and press Enter:

adb connect 127.0.0.1:58526

Type the following command to start the  shell and press Enter:

adb shell

Type the following command to get root access to the Android subsystem and press Enter:

su

Type the following command to unlock the Google Play Store app on Windows 11 and press Enter:

setenforce 0

If you want to prevent future updates for the Windows Subsystem for Android resetting this process, you may want to disable automatic updates for apps in the Microsoft Store > Profile menu > App settings and turn off the App updates toggle switch. If you want to update other apps, you need to update them manually through Microsoft Store > Library.