Home windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), which has been round since 2022, will lastly be capable to entry Home windows 11 folders like Paperwork and Photos in an upcoming replace.
The idea behind WSA is you could run Android apps in Windows natively however, in observe, it’s moderately counterintuitive due to the truth that you possibly can’t simply obtain image or video information from the PC to an Android social media app, or vice versa. However now, due to a brand new replace coming first to the Home windows Insider preview program, earlier than rolling out to all customers in a future Windows 11 replace, WSA will be capable to entry Paperwork and Photos via file sharing with the OS.
File Sharing, in accordance with Liliputing, can be enabled by default as soon as the replace drops, however you possibly can flip it off through the WSA Settings app. Entry to these folders is restricted, as apps might want to request permission earlier than accessing folders for safety causes.
There’s additionally the truth that the function doesn’t have full entry to each folder in your PC, solely those tied to a consumer profile like Paperwork, Photos, Movies, and Downloads. Meaning the brand new File Sharing function for WSA doesn’t have entry to those information:
- Home windows system folders like Program Recordsdata
- Exterior drives
- Different customers’ folders
- Hidden information or folders
- Executable information (like .exe information)
Why use Home windows 11 Subsystem for Android?
Earlier than Home windows 11 Subsystem for Android, there was Windows Subsystem for Linux, which grew to become publicly accessible in November 2022. In line with Microsoft, this allowed for builders to make use of “their favourite laptop computer for programming to run a GNU/Linux setting with out the overheads of a standard digital machine or dualboot setup.”
However whereas it is sensible for there to be a subsystem for one pc working system to run on a special one, working Android on PC appears a bit pointless. Why would a consumer need to run an Android app on their Home windows PC, after they can merely use the extra fleshed-out desktop model as an alternative?
File sharing will in all probability be the one motive for normal customers to truly make use of WSA, as having the ability to share image and video information between telephone and PC is an extremely helpful function. In any other case, there isn’t an actual function for anybody however builders to wish this program.
Possibly extra updates like File Sharing will persuade me in any other case however for now, WSA appears like a function with solely a slim focus — for devs to check out Android apps in Home windows with out having to make use of an emulator.
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