You can download Windows 11 on your Surface Duo, but you probably shouldn’t
While a lot of the focus in the foldable space is on devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Oppo Find N with their single screen designs, Microsoft is trying to do something different. The Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 offer two separate screens that aim to provide a different type of multi-tasking. Think of it like using two monitors with your computer, versus using one large screen for everything.
Ever since the Surface Duo was introduced, folks have been attempting to get Windows 11 on it, especially considering that there is an ARM version that would theoretically work on a mobile device. Well, @gus33000 has done just that, as they were able to get a working version of Windows 11 onto the Surface Duo.
— Simone Franco (@Simizfo) March 10, 2022
Currently, it seems that this only works with the original Surface Duo, and you’ll need the version with at least 128GB of storage. This is because instead of replacing the build of Android entirely, you’ll actually be dual-booting both Windows and Android. Your phone would operate as it did when you picked it up from the store when accessing the Android side, but you will need to connect the Duo to your Windows PC in order to boot into Windows.
While this is a really awesome concept turned into reality, it’s not exactly the most usable solution. The developer notes that while you can boot into Windows, you can’t use the touchscreen, network, cellular, cameras, and other features of your Duo. Essentially, you should probably steer clear unless you have a Surface Duo that isn’t your primary device. The development of this project will continue, so hopefully, we’ll see the ability to actually use Windows 11 on the Duo, but until then, we would recommend just watching from a distance.
In the event that you want a weekend project, you can find the entire guide on GitHub linked below: