Question regarding the capabilities of Android support in Win 11

I have not yet played with the Android support in Win 11 but had some questions regarding its capabilities.

1) Will authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator work within the Android subsystem?

2) Will apps that control devices via Bluetooth or WiFi work? For example, devices such as power switches, light bulbs, etc. can all be controlled from a SmartPhone. Will such control apps work from the Android subsystem?

hsehestedt said:

I have not yet played with the Android support in Win 11 but had some questions regarding its capabilities.

1) Will authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator work within the Android subsystem?

2) Will apps that control devices via Bluetooth or WiFi work? For example, devices such as power switches, light bulbs, etc. can all be controlled from a SmartPhone. Will such control apps work from the Android subsystem?

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As I have yet to get it working in UK, I think the following will apply but cannot be certain.

1) I just tested it using MS Authenticator on my mobile phone, turning off 4G, so it only had wifi, and it still worked for authenticating work office 365. I turned off wifi and only had 4g running, and that also worked. It seems the authenticator is tied to the account not phone number, and MS did recently let authenticator be installed on multiple devices, so there is a fair chance this will work.

2) I see no reason why smart switches using wifi would not work. Bluetooth devices may be trickier as you would have to pair pc bluetooth to end user device - sometimes they can only be paired to one device at a time, and it would be a PITA to keep swapping bluetooth pairing.

As long as the WSL and the WSL/A subsystem can gain access to the relevant hardware with drivers to make use of them, sure, they should work. I haven't had a chance to even try, so I cannot say definitely work or not work. I do hope that they will, and that means that I do hope that the WSL/A is well beyond just a half-baked scheme with no real benefits.

Time will tell.