The news from Microsoft keeps coming and now Windows 11 is updated to Android 12.1. This is an update to Google’s operating system subsystem and it’s starting with Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel. It’s build 2204.40000.15.0, which includes several new features and improvements to the Settings app experience.
Although this update for Android 12.1 on Windows 11 is available, it could cause some applications to not start , for this a list of known issues has been incorporated on the developer support website.
What’s new and changed with Windows 11
- Diagnostic data is now optional – With this update, the collection of telemetry, or diagnostic data, in the Windows Subsystem app for Android settings, is turned off by default.
- Advanced networking is built in : We’ve also improved networking for the Windows Subsystem for Android in the latest Insider Preview builds, allowing Android apps to connect to devices on the same network as your Windows PC. This will allow you to play your favorite content on a speaker on the same network or set up a security camera with a compatible Android app.
- Total Settings app redesign : The Windows subsystem app for Android Settings has been redesigned and updated. They’ve redesigned the app from the ground up, now with clearer settings groups, grouped navigation, and a cleaner user experience. They also added a diagnostic data viewer where you can browse all the diagnostic data collected by the subsystem and the compatibility settings.
- Windows integration improvements: Major improvements to Android apps that integrate with Windows have been added in this update. For the latest Insider Preview builds, Windows taskbar icons will now show which Android apps are currently using the microphone, location, and other system services in the system tray.
- Camera Optimization in Android Apps : Many camera updates are shipped in this update. The camera orientation is now fixed to the natural orientation, and issues with incorrect camera preview, bugs with widescreen format, and camera stream squashing have now been fixed.
- Improvements for input devices : Mouse and keyboard support have also been improved in the Windows Subsystem for Android, with fixes such as improved scroll wheel support. We also see fixes for on-screen keyboard focus and fixes for the Android software keyboard to display correctly.
Major changes in Android 12.1 for Windows 11
- Added advanced networking turned on by default for newer x64 builds of Windows.
- Updated Windows subsystem for Android Settings app: redesigned UX and added diagnostic data viewer.
- Simpleperf’s CPU profiler recording now works with the Windows Subsystem for Android.
- The Windows taskbar now shows which Android apps are using the microphone and location.
- Improvements to Android app notifications that appear as Windows notifications.
- Reduced flickering when apps are restored from a minimized state.
- Apps don’t restart when devices come out of Connected Standby mode in recent versions of Windows.
- Improvements for the on-screen keyboard in applications.
- Fixes for full-screen Android apps and auto-hiding Windows taskbar.
- Updated Windows Subsystem for Android with Chromium WebView 100.
- Added support for Android NetworkLocationProvider in addition to GpsLocationProvider
Improved overall stability, performance, and reliability. - Download the Windows 11 build
