Support Field Maps on Windows 11

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6
03-06-2024 06:44 AM
RyanUthoff
Occasional Contributor III

With Microsoft's and Amazon's decision to end support for the Amazon AppStore on Windows 11, this means users will no longer have access to Field Maps on Windows 11 devices. This very sudden and abrupt decision means that organizations will have to come up with other solutions for users on Windows 11 devices (such as running an Android emulator or changing to Android or iOS which is might be cost prohibitive for organizations who have already invested in Windows 11 devices).

My ArcGIS Field Maps idea is for Esri to release a native Field Maps app on Windows 11.

Considering that other Esri COTS apps have Windows 11 support, it just makes sense that Field Maps would also have Windows 11 support. I'm not sure why some parts of the Esri ecosystem support some platforms, while others do not, especially considering that the apps are often integrated with each other with app launch link URLs.

Furthermore, the predecessor apps to Field Maps (Collector and Explorer) both had Windows support, and Esri's official guidance written just 4 months ago (https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/collector/field-mobility/deprecation-notice-arcgis-collect...) on how to migrate off of Collector and Explorer encouraged users to use Field Maps on Windows 11. But now with Field Maps no longer being supported on Windows 11, users who followed this guidance will now be completely forced off Windows 11.

If there is any official guidance from Esri regarding this decision that would impact my idea to release Field Maps for Windows 11, please feel free to post the link.

6 Comments
SarahSaint-Ruth
GrahamWood-HWC

@SarahSaint-Ruth 

This is a separate idea as the one in your link is talking about using windows subsystem for Andriod. Maybe we rename the idea to a native Windows 11 App.

I've been surprised by this news and will have to make some significant changes to our deployment plans for field maps. This needs to be addressed as formally from ESRI as i'd say there is a lot of organisations that are in a similar place that are trying to find Windows based solutions for their field workers.

 

Jeremy_Z

Agreed.

@SarahSaint-Ruth , this shouldn't be closed, it's a new idea.

The linked idea you closed this for shows it "In Product Plan", but the entire thread/plan is about using the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), and the Amazon App Store to use the Android App in Windows, not for a Windows 11 program.

WSA is being depreciated in March of 2025, and Amazon just pulled it's app store from the Microsoft Store yesterday, there's been a lot of discussion about it.

The "In Product Plan" intent is nice, but it's not going to happen and is not available anymore.

SarahSaint-Ruth

Thank you for the feedback. This post will remain closed. Whilst the thread reflects the technical direction we were taking, the original post is the request for Windows support for Field Maps regardless of the deployment pattern. Having duplicate idea's on the same topic obfuscate the demand for the idea. The original post has been changed to open. 

ErikLash4

Can we do a thread merge? This is a pretty huge topic for many private organizations, most government organizations, and all users who remained on Collector on Windows but were planning to move to Field Maps. Thanks.

RyanUthoff

@ErikLash4 I transferred my "idea" as a comment in the other thread.