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Microsoft AppComparison Shows Windows Alternatives for Popular Android Apps

Microsoft AppComparison Shows Windows Alternatives for Popular Android Apps

By Manish Singh | Updated: 23 November 2015 10:42 IST

Microsoft believes its Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem has enough apps in the Windows Store to convince an Android handset user to switch to its platforms. The company has released an Android app called AppComparison to help an Android user find alternatives for all their favourite Android apps they use on Microsoft's mobile platforms.

Once installed, AppComparison analyses the apps you've installed on your Android handset and then suggests their alternatives that you could find on the Windows Store. For instance, if you use Google Drive, the app points out that Windows Phone (or Windows 10 Mobile) has Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage service. Similarly, Google+ users can try App for G+; for Feedly, there is Phonly; and for Google Play Books, there's Legimi - ebook reader. For Google Play Music, you can try CloudMuzik. The idea is simple, Microsoft wants you to believe that the so-called 'app-gap' problem is a myth.

There are several popular apps that are available on both platforms, do note. WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Truecaller, Twitter, and Speedtest.net Android apps on our Android phone were also available on Windows Store, the app noted. There's another section called 'Recommended' that curates a list of popular apps that you might find interesting. Flixster, Netflix, 9Gag, and Adobe Reader among others are showcased in this section.

An issue with it is that many of the alternatives Microsoft is suggesting are made by third-party developers. These come with its own security, privacy, and reliability implications. One cannot be certain that an alternative Microsoft has suggested is going to live for a few years. Furthermore, if the official channel blocks support for the public API that its alternative relies on for existence, the app would become non-functional instantly.

You can download the app from the Google Play store.

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Further reading: Android, AppComparison, Apps, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Google, Google Play Books, Google Play Store, WhatsApp, Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone