The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) is history now. Microsoft caved in and killed the project, which angered a lot of users because it was one of the main highlights of the Windows 11 launch. Microsoft failed to anticipate the demand for running Android apps with Google Play Store support, and the option to only download apps via the Amazon Appstore didn’t appeal to a lot of users. I thought WSA would kill third-party Android emulators on Windows, but WSA didn’t catch up with them.

On the Linux side, though. Waydroid can help run Android apps with Google support, and that opens doors to a wide range of apps compared to WSA. The possibilities are endless, and I don’t need to worry about a limited app library, subpar performance due to virtualization overhead, or figuring out Google account integration.

Waydroid ditches the traditional VM route

LXC containers are better

I won't hide the fact that I was very excited when Microsoft unveiled its plans for WSA. There were many Android apps that I wished would work on PC because of the lack of desktop versions. But WSA had a very limited list of apps that I could access via its Amazon App Store partnership. Also, the core idea was to run a virtualized Android system and make the apps feel like they were running on Windows.

Waydroid doesn't rely completely on the virtualization aspect and instead uses LXC containers (OS-level virtualization), which are like a mini-system within Linux. It avoids using a hardware emulation layer or kernel duplication to work. Instead, it is just a lightweight, isolated Linux environment sharing the same OS kernel. There’s far less translation between layers compared to a virtual machine, which results in better performance while running apps.

It's basically the core idea of using any Android app emulator. The app should load instantly, work as it does on phones, and not feel like a cheap imitation. I like the experience because it feels snappy, and it is one of the reasons why Waydroid has a special place on my Linux system.

When I used WSA, the resource usage was on the higher side as I had to run a complete OS (Windows 11) and an Android virtual machine and divide resources between the two. LXC containers can offer a much better experience because they skip traditional hardware virtualization (CPU, Memory, GPU) and can access it through the Linux kernel sharing. It’s not as clean as bare metal, but it is less taxing on performance compared to full virtualization.

Setting up Waydroid is simple

No unnecessary tricks needed

If you’ve ever set up an Android emulator on your PC, you must be aware of the complications that come with it. While WSA was simple to install and run, it needed an Amazon Appstore account to work, and if you wanted to expand it beyond the measly 100 apps, it needed too much effort to get it going.

Waydroid needs barely two things to work. There are official instructions for different distros, but if you're using Ubuntu or its derivatives, you start by adding the Waydroid repository:

sudo apt install curl ca-certificates -y

curl -s https://repo.waydro.id | sudo bash

Then, you must update your Linux system (I use Ubuntu) with a simple sudo apt update && upgrade command before running the Waydroid install command.

sudo apt install waydroid -y

Once the tool installs, you can launch it using the icon and then pick the Android with Google Apps option during initialization. It’ll download the required files, which are around 1200 MB, and then a full-fledged Android OS (version 13) is available at your disposal. Earlier, you needed to certify your Linux device with Google before accessing the Play Store library.

I didn’t face the problem after installation, and it's great news for Linux noobs. Rather than enduring the long, arduous process of certifying your device, you can simply log in to your account and start installing apps. The experience is similar to how you set up a new Android device.

Vast app library

WSA barely had a catalog

Even if WSA figured out performance improvements, the app list would make it the least competent emulation app. Waydroid supports Google accounts natively, like BlueStacks, and that is a game-changer because the Play Store library is vast. If I look at it from a beginner, non-techy user standpoint, it would be easier to set up Waydroid and sign in with the Google account compared to what WSA tries to offer.

Waydroid can run and install apps that are only designed for Arm processors, though these entries might show up as unsupported in the Play Store. The success rate varies, but the fact that it's possible is a big win for Linux users. There are several other methods to get apps, like the Aurora store or F-Droid. Games also follow the same route with mixed success in a few popular titles.

One thing you need to remember is Waydroid’s reliance on Wayland. It’s a modern display server that some Linux distros don’t include or enable by default, and Waydroid won’t work without it. Ubuntu uses Wayland by default, and so do other distros like KDE Neon and Fedora. If you use a non-Wayland distro like AntiX that uses X11, you’ll have to use Weston to run a nested compositor to display the Waydroid interface.

Waydroid is wonderful

Windows might have ditched the WSA project, but Waydroid achieves a better experience without additional complexities. You can access the Play Store library, a core part of any modern Android app emulator, and can switch between software and GPU rendering for better performance. It can also run some unsupported apps using scripts and additional libraries, making it much better in comparison.