Amazon has formally confirmed that it’s engaged on supporting the brand new Android App Bundle format mandated by Google, resolving the will-they-or-won’t-they query. It’s not completely clear if this implies you’ll be capable of sideload Android apps of all sorts in Windows 11, which can allow you to run Android apps on a PC, but it surely does provide a little bit of hope on the horizon for cross-compatibility.

Amazon printed the information in a short blog post, and there aren’t too many particulars but. The firm plans to assist app bundles throughout all forms of submissions, citing the advantages of the brand new file format, together with “smaller app size downloads for customers and on-demand downloads for features and assets.” The Amazon Appstore may even proceed to assist the present APK file format. However, Amazon won’t mandate the brand new .aab file kind for builders to undergo its Appstore, nor will they must resubmit an app printed in APK format.

There was some uncertainty surrounding how Google’s app bundle mandate would have an effect on third-party Android app shops. Specifically, it was unclear whether or not the change would imply that you simply couldn’t sideload .aab recordsdata on Windows 11. We’re nonetheless not completely positive what the end result will seem like. It’ll be fascinating to see how Amazon’s Appstore interprets this unbundling to Windows machines, even with the working system including native assist for Android apps.

Amazon’s transfer is the exact opposite of Google’s method to the Android App Bundle, or .aab file kind. Beginning in August, builders must publish apps within the proprietary format earlier than they’re accessible within the Play Store. The requirement applies to all new app submissions. Existing apps are exempt, although it’s value noting that loads of main apps have already made the swap due to the veritable drop in file measurement. The Android App Bundle primarily splits up the APK into all of its essential elements, putting in solely the required parts associated to the gadget.

Google initially launched the Android App Package in Android 9 to assist alleviate the bloat related to app distribution. The app bundle is actually an archived file of break up APKs, every representing an important a part of your complete app package deal, and the elements which might be put in rely in your gadget’s configuration. For occasion, if you happen to’re working a flagship smartphone with the newest cellular processor, you’ll get solely the belongings that pertain to that specific {hardware}.

The present Windows 11 beta preview doesn’t embody the Android app performance. We in all probability received’t know what that appears like till Windows 11 is formally launched, although Amazon says it can present extra particulars because it nears nearer to the rollout.