Why doesn't Microsoft allow WP user to install Android apk files?

[Samy Ibrahim]

I can count the number of android apps I want to run on one finger. And I already have that one running in BlueStacks on my Surface Pro 3 so it's really redundant.

I think that will be nice if we have BlueStacks running in WP as it working fine in my laptop but I asked them and they not interested in this time to make version for WP

 

[Samy Ibrahim]

Facebook not having voice calls
Viber not having video call
There is no MagicJack app for WP
....ext

 

[SammyD97]

I need a few apps that aren't coming to the platform, for example Candy Crush, my bank's app, government apps, local newspapers apps, etc.. The Amazon store would solve most of my needs.

Now BlackBerry has better apps than WP, I would be worried.

You "need" Candy Crush? The only thing I'm missing my bank's app but its not a deal breaker.

 

[SammyD97]

Facebook not having voice calls
Viber not having video call
There is no MagicJack app for WP
....ext

I can wait. I don't mind as long as we have native apps. If we did get Android apps I wouldn't use even one of them.

 

[colinkiama]

The only compelling reason to have Android apps on WP would be to run Google Apps on WP but since the Android runtime on Blackberry doesn't support the Google Services Framework and I doubt it would on WP what would be the point when about 90-99% of the most popular apps are on WP anyway:

Facebook
Facebook Messenger
Twitter
LinkedIn
Foursquare
Swarm
Instagram
Vine
Uber
Pinterest
Flipboard

Those are just a few of them on Windows Phone so using Android apps would be a desperation move for Microsoft, like it is for Blackberry. It takes time to build up an ecosystem, Android and iOS didn't have millions of apps overnight. Microsoft are doing the right thing by getting the apps on board as native apps in most cases and not resorting to methods that would see developers abandon the platform.

What we are missing are :
Snapchat
Official YouTube
Candy Crush
Clash of clans and then I think that's the most needed apps done already. WP has come a really long way.

 

[timmy95]

I'm running BlackBerry, and while some people don't mind running Android apps on their BlackBerrys, I preferably don't. I have a few, like Tapatalk for example and it works pretty good but there is nothing like a good native app. And the ability to install apk's on anything other than an Android phone is only a temporary fix.

 

[Samy Ibrahim]

I can wait. I don't mind as long as we have native apps. If we did get Android apps I wouldn't use even one of them.

My dear I am not talking about Android apps I just need some app and I don't matter what is they extension if it .apk or .ipa or .exe noting that most of the app available for iPhone & Android and PC's but not for WP.

 

[clvrbas]

The sandbox approach like BlackBerry did is a band aid, not a sustainable solution. We should want quality native apps, not something running in a virtual machine.

 

[neo158]

What we are missing are :
Snapchat
Official YouTube
Candy Crush
Clash of clans and then I think that's the most needed apps done already. WP has come a really long way.

Snapchat - Never used it but others do so fair enough.
Official YouTube - While Google continue with their mission of WP hate this won't ever happen.
Candy Crush - King won't develop for WP so I'm not interested in their apps if they aren't interested in developing for the platform I use.
Clash of Clans - Not really needed as we have Total Conquest which is pretty much the same game with a different name, not only that but AoE: Castle Siege is pretty good as well.

 

[Jazmac]

Your English isn't bad.

The whole idea of getting Android apps to earn marketshare isn't a silver bullet, it'll be a frustration that may force existing Windows Phone users back to Android.

If a Windows Phone user doesn't have an app, he'll learn to deal with it. But the frustration that would come with downloading an .apk, updating it manually every few days and the crashes that would come with the apps being unoptimised.

On the other hand if Microsoft allowed an Amazon App Store or some of the other stores that have .apks, that could be a better move.

Speak for yourself on going back to android. If I disappear from here, you'll likely find me on imore.

 

[Paul Park1]

The most foolish question I ever saw. It will eventually kill all WP developers and have to rely on Google forever. Plus, Android apps on WP?? Yuck

 

[colinkiama]

Snapchat - Never used it but others do so fair enough.
Official YouTube - While Google continue with their mission of WP hate this won't ever happen.
Candy Crush - King won't develop for WP so I'm not interested in their apps if they aren't interested in developing for the platform I use.
Clash of Clans - Not really needed as we have Total Conquest which is pretty much the same game with a different name, not only that but AoE: Castle Siege is pretty good as well.

People want to play with their friends though. And people don't want to sacrifice their progress. Believe it or not. Nowadays these apps are deal breakers

 

[neo158]

People want to play with their friends though. And people don't want to sacrifice their progress. Believe it or not. Nowadays these apps are deal breakers

Total Conquest is available on ALL platforms anyway, if King don't want to develop for WP then users can't do anything about that can they. As I said with Google hating on WP for no reason we will NEVER see an official YouTube app.

 

[salmanahmad]

Speak for yourself on going back to android. If I disappear from here, you'll likely find me on imore.

Like I said, it "may" cause Windows Phone users to switch to another platform because manually installing and updating .apks can eventually become frustrating.

 

[pgg101]

Like I said, it "may" cause Windows Phone users to switch to another platform because manually installing and updating .apks can eventually become frustrating.

It's not frustrating at all. Amazon Appstore has a nice UI, and Snap (Google Play client) is really nice too. Sure you can't get Google services app, but the most important app, Google Maps, doesn't require Google Services.

Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android on a BlackBerry Z30

 

[salmanahmad]

It's not frustrating at all. Amazon Appstore has a nice UI, and Snap (Google Play client) is really nice too. Sure you can't get Google services app, but the most important app, Google Maps, doesn't require Google Services.

Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android on a BlackBerry Z30

Read my original post. I already said that if they add a market, like the Amazon App Store then it wouldn't be frustrating and could "maybe" prove to be useful.

 

[clvrbas]

As I think about this more, I would be concerned about how jarring of a experience it would be. WP has a design language of its own like Android and iOS. And as soon as various design languages are in one OS it is a bit confusing.

 

[LockOnTech]

Like I said, it "may" cause Windows Phone users to switch to another platform because manually installing and updating .apks can eventually become frustrating.

I certainly do understand people switching platforms out of frustration, although to switch to a different platform such as blackberry os 10 and above or android; the option for manually updating and installing apk is still an option regardless of the switch. I also do understand that there are a handful of phone users that simply do not have time or are not willing to put effort into manual updating.

 

[clvrbas]

I certainly do understand people switching platforms out of frustration, although to switch to a different platform such as blackberry os 10 and above or android; the option for manually updating and installing apk is still an option regardless of the switch. I also do understand that there are a handful of phone users that simply do not have time or are not willing to put effort into manual updating.

Its also a no guarantee that the app will work as smooth or proper. Ports and sandboxing is not always a smooth process. It would also limit any app that wanted to use google services such as drive for a backups.

 

[Edge007]

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