Windows 11 WSATools is Back on The Store

What is WSATools

WSATools is a third-party app that provides local APK installation for the Windows 11 Android subsystem. Given that Windows 11 already supports the installation of Android apps in Beta, the small number of Android apps currently available in the store, and the tedious process of using the adb command line tool to install APKs, Italian developer Simone Franco has developed WSATools. It simplifies the Android app installation to a simple double-click on the APK file, and greatly enhance the user experience.

WSATools was removed from app store previously

Previously, Microsoft removed WSATools from the Windows 11 app store for no clear reason, which caused some controversy. However, after the incident Microsoft sent an apology email to developer Simone Franco, explaining the reason for the removal.

Recently, Simone Franco opened these reasons to the public in his blog. First, WSATools published the app to the Microsoft Store without passing the initial Microsoft certification check process. Later in the WSATools version 0.1.56 update, the app was discovered by the automatic authentication checker. This is one of the reasons why it was removed.

The reason it didn't pass the check was because Microsoft requires that apps on the store be available to most users, and WSATools requires a WSA based on Microsoft Windows 11, which is currently limited to users based in the US and participating in Windows Insider, so for the vast majority of other regular users, and users outside the US WSATools is not available to the majority of other users, as well as users outside the United States.

Microsoft also offers a simple solution to this problem, requiring WSATools to clearly indicate these requirements in the store listing.

Secondly, Microsoft had a problem with the naming of the program "WSATools", because WSA is an acronym for Windows Subsystem for Android and is the official term, and the naming of WSATools could be misunderstood by users as an official Microsoft application.

Microsoft has also advised him to either change the name of the application or to make it clear in the introduction that WSATools has no connection with Microsoft itself.

With all this done, the app is now accessible on the Microsoft Store details page.