Android 13 lets you run Windows 11 right on your Google Pixel 6

A new virtualization mainline module makes the process much more efficient and standardized

Google surprised everyone by launching the first Android 13 developer preview last week. While a few new features have made their way into this first version, we’re expecting many more changes coming to the OS under the hood. One of these is a new mainline module that makes running virtual machines much more standardized and better performing, letting you use something like, say, Windows 11 right on your Pixel 6 or 6 Pro.

As showcased by noted Android developer kdrag0n on Twitter, it’s possible to run various Linux distributions and even full-blown Windows 11 on a Pixel 6 on the Android 13 developer preview. Kdrag0n notes that after some tweaking, Windows 11 is perfectly usable on their Pixel 6, with a video showcasing how well and smoothly the virtual machine runs. Of course, you can also play a session of good ol’ Doom if you’re so inclined.

The technical background for these achievements is quite a bit complex. Esper.io’s Mishaal Rahman is doing a great job explaining the intricacies of virtual machines on Android and what we might expect from them in the future in a detailed technical blog post, but the gist is this: Virtual machines on Android are in a state of wild fragmentation, and Google is starting to hone in on the topic to make things more standardized starting in Android 13.

For starters, Google has created a new virtualization framework and introduced the so-called pKVM (protected kernel virtualization mechanism), which lays the foundation for standardized VM support. Google is relying on previous work for this. It’s porting Chrome OS’ crosvm manager (used to run Linux apps on Chromebooks) to Android, bringing it to the mobile OS as a mainline module that can be updated independently from the system going forward.

Google’s intentions with this newfound interest in virtual machines might stem from its wish to make the updating and booting process more secure on Android phones. The company seems to be planning to use a super simple version of Android dubbed microdroid that would be used to compile certain parts of Android that need to be recompiled whenever the Android Runtime (ART) is updated, the component of the OS that makes apps run. Right now, this recompiling process is done on the host OS, which could have security implications, though these are apparently all in the realm of the hypothetical, with measures in place that are likely hard enough to crack as they are already.

The potentially more secure booting and updating process is likely only one part of the equation, though. Google might have much more in the pipeline, as robust VM support opens the door to new possibilities.

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