Download apps from Google Play Store to Windows PC

You cannot install Google Play Store apps directly on the HP OmniBook X through a currently supported Windows 11 feature; use the app publisher’s Windows or web version, or access a compatible app from an Android phone through Phone Link.

Microsoft’s former Android solution used the Amazon Appstore, not Google Play, and both Windows Subsystem for Android and the Amazon Appstore stopped being available in Microsoft Store on March 5, 2025.^1^

Option 1: Install the publisher’s Windows version

1. Visit the app developer’s official website.
2. Look for a Windows download, usually an .exe or .msi installer.
3. Download it, open File Explorer → Downloads, and run the installer.
4. If Windows blocks non-Store apps, open: Start → Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings
5. Set Choose where to get apps to Anywhere, but warn me before installing an app that’s not from the Microsoft Store.^2^

Only download installers from the app publisher’s official site or another trusted source.^3^

If the publisher offers only Android or iOS versions, check whether the service has a browser-based version. Many services can be used through Edge without installing their mobile app.

Option 2: Use the app from a compatible Android phone

Phone Link can expose supported phone features—and, on select Android devices, mobile apps—on the laptop without installing those apps locally in Windows.

Requirements include:

• Windows 11 or Windows 10 with the October 2022 update or later
• Android 10 or later
• The phone and laptop connected to the same Wi-Fi network
• A supported Android device for the particular Phone Link feature^4^

To set it up:

1. Install the desired app normally from Google Play on the Android phone.
2. On the laptop, search for and open Phone Link.
3. Select Android and sign in with a Microsoft account.
4. On the phone, open or install Link to Windows.
5. Sign in with the same Microsoft account.
6. In Phone Link, select Pair with QR code, scan it using Link to Windows, and approve the requested permissions.
7. Check Phone Link for an Apps section. Its availability depends on the connected phone model.

Phone Link streams access from the phone; it does not convert the Android app into a Windows application or install Google Play on the laptop.

If the laptop is in Windows 11 S mode

S mode permits only Microsoft Store applications. Check Settings → System → Activation. If it shows Windows 11 in S mode, installing a publisher’s desktop program requires permanently switching out of S mode:

1. Open Settings → System → Activation.
2. Under Switch to Windows 11 Pro, select Go to the Store. Do not select the edition-upgrade link.
3. On the Switch out of S mode page, select Get.

Switching is free but one-way; S mode cannot be restored afterward.^5^

Third-party Android emulators may advertise Google Play support, but they are not the Microsoft-supported Windows Android path documented here. Review their publisher, privacy terms, hardware compatibility, and security before installing one.

References

1. Install mobile apps and the Amazon Appstore on Windows | Microsoft Support
2. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/change-your-app-recommendation-settings-in-windows#summary)
3. How to install programs from online sources on Windows | Microsoft Support
4. Phone Link requirements and setup | Microsoft Support
5. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/platform-variants/windows-10-and-windows-11-in-s-mode-faq#how-do-i-switch-out-of-s-mode)