San Francisco, Jun 25 (IANS): Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will support Android apps via the Amazon App Store.

The apps will be locally installed, meaning they will show up in the Taskbar and Start menu and not require your smartphone to function.

Microsoft didn't go into much detail, but it's likely that Android apps on Windows 11 are powered by Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. These apps will be discoverable in the Microsoft Store, Windows Central reported.

While Amazon apps do not support Google Play, the long-term plan is to get even more Android stores into the Microsoft one, the report said.

That could mean Samsung and even Google Play down the road as Amazon alone is not the end goal, it added.

Alongside this news, Microsoft also unveiled a brand new Microsoft Store app, with a focus on being an open storefront for any app on Windows.

According to the company, Windows 11 also gives you a more natural way to connect with friends and family through Teams, allowing users to instantly mute and unmute, or start presenting directly from the taskbar.

The new OS will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users and will start rolling out "this holiday".