How to Install Android on Your Windows Tablet
What Tablet Are You Using?
Before going further, you need to note that Android can only be installed on standard 32-bit or 64-bit Windows tablets. Those that make use of ARM processors are incompatible for android to run on.
Meanwhile, the process of installing Android on your Windows tablet would vary from device to device. However, the general approach is usually the same.
Windows 8 tablets are desperate to get an upgrade to a usable operating system. In most cases, upgrading to Windows 10 is usually the solution. However, the lack of applications or the increasing complexity of Windows 10 might stop you from upgrading to it.
For many windows tablet users, Android is the only way for you to keep using your old but perfectly adequate windows tablet.
What You Need to Install Android on a Windows Tablet
Below is a list of everything you need to install Android:
- Your Windows tablet, plugged into a power source
- A blank USB flash drive of 16GB or more
- Another USB flash drive with the Windows installer loaded on it (in case you encounter any problem)
- USB flash disk writing software (I recommend Etcher)
- USB keyboard (a mouse is optional)
- A USB hub so you can connect multiple devices to your tablet at once
- The right version of Android for your system
Intel also has a well-maintained versions of some Android images for Windows machines. You will find these as part of the open-source Celadon project, which is available to download on GitHub.
Before going further, check the web for steps that are specific to your tablet. It is important to have a direct, step-by-step reference to make sure that you don’t make any mistakes that could wipe your drive. You basically would not want to avoid any errors that could leave your machine unbootable.
Why Install Android on a Windows Tablet?
Windows has a usable User Interface in both touchscreen and tablet mode, but the Microsoft Store’s application selection is basically modest.
If you already have some experience with Android tablets and do not particularly like the Windows touch environment, switching is sensible.
Configuring Your Windows Tablet for Android Installation
You can’t just install a second operating system on a device that was designed for Windows without making a few adjustments to the setup of the system setup.
First, you will need to make sure that Secure Boot is disabled. Open your Settings > Update and Recovery > Recovery and click on Restart Now under the Advanced Start-up. From here, use your arrow keys to select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings.
From here, look for Security in the left-hand menu and set a Supervisor password. Once you’ve added that, open Boot, find the Secure Boot option, and set it to Disabled.
With that done, hold down Power to restart, then hold the Windows button as well until the screen comes back on. This turns on a quick shortcut back into the BIOS screen, where you should make sure that UEFI Mode is selected.
Next, switch the tablet off, and connect the USB hub directly to the USB port. Do not use a docking station.
With the keyboard and USB stick connected to the hub, boot up your tablet PC, pressing F12. In the boot menu, use the arrow keys to select the USB drive. When you need to make selections (such as enabling dual boot), use your device’s volume keys.
Different versions of the Android installer have slightly different steps. In most cases, the dual boot option should be selected. It’s often not worth removing Windows entirely as the bootloader is required for Android to boot.
If all goes according to plan, when you next boot up the tablet, you should see a boot menu, where you can select between Android and Windows.
Alternative Ways to Run Android Apps on Windows
If your main motivation for installing Android on your Windows tablet is to use apps, emulation is a simpler solution. You can choose from several tools to run Android apps in this way, including:
- NoxPlayer: Probably the best Android emulator for Windows.
- BlueStacks: Ideal for fans of Android gaming.
- Andy: Includes features for game and app development.
Note that these will only run as well as the hardware on your Windows machine allows.
