Android apps can still be run on Windows PCs in 2026, despite Microsoft abandoning built-in Android support for Windows 11 in 2024. The article explains that emulators offer a practical way to use mobile games and apps on larger screens, with better graphics, keyboard and mouse controls, and potential benefits for developers, content creators and hobbyists.

The main options are full Android emulators such as BlueStacks and MuMuPlayer, or Google Play Games for PC, which supports only selected titles through a lightweight virtual machine. MuMuPlayer runs Android 15 and offers access to the Play Store and other apps, while BlueStacks is criticised for its heavy advertising; Phone Link can mirror Android apps from a phone, but does not run them directly on the PC.