Google has been ordered to make it easier for Android users to discover and install alternative app stores. The order comes from U.S. District Judge James Donato, who has been overseeing Google's long-running antitrust dispute with Epic Games.
The judge reportedly found that Google's current implementation creates unnecessary barriers for users who want to access third-party app stores. Google has now been given one week to make changes to the way these stores are presented and installed through Google Play.
Why Is Google Being Asked to Change Android's App Store System?
For years, Android has technically allowed users to install apps from sources other than the Google Play Store. However, installing a third-party app store has generally involved additional steps, warnings and permissions compared with installing an app directly through Google Play.
The legal dispute between Google and Epic Games focused heavily on these barriers and Google's control over Android app distribution.
Following the court's findings and subsequent legal proceedings, Google was required to take steps that would give competing app stores greater access to Android users.
As part of those changes, Google recently began allowing third-party app stores to appear inside the Google Play Store in the United States. Aptoide became the first rival app store to appear through this system.
However, the judge now believes Google's first implementation does not go far enough.
Judge Says Google Created "Anticompetitive Friction"
During a recent hearing, Epic's lawyers demonstrated problems with Google's implementation.
One example involved searching Google Play for terms such as "store for apps." According to the report, the search did not return relevant alternative app stores and instead produced results for physical stores such as Walmart.
Even when users could locate third-party app stores, they were reportedly not presented like ordinary Play Store search results. Instead, they appeared under a separate third-party app store section.
Judge Donato reportedly considered this unnecessary friction and instructed Google to make alternative app stores easier to discover.
The judge also questioned why Google had replaced the usual "Install" button with a "View" button for Aptoide.
From a user's perspective, this adds another step between discovering an alternative app store and actually installing it. The court's concern is that these additional steps could discourage users from choosing competing app marketplaces.
Google Has Agreed to Make Changes
Google has reportedly agreed to make changes following the judge's criticism.
The company has been given approximately one week to address the issues raised during the hearing. The changes are expected to improve both the search visibility of alternative app stores and the installation process.
This is significant because simply allowing third-party stores to technically exist is different from making them easy for ordinary users to find and use.
For competition to be meaningful, alternative app stores need to be reasonably discoverable and accessible.
Aptoide Is the First Rival App Store on Google Play
Aptoide's arrival on the U.S. Google Play Store marks an important change for Android's app ecosystem.
Previously, users wanting to use many third-party app stores generally had to download them from their websites or other external sources. That process could involve Android security warnings and additional permissions.
Under Google's new approach, registered third-party app stores can be distributed through Google Play, reducing some of the friction associated with getting an alternative marketplace onto an Android phone.
Other companies could eventually take advantage of the same system, potentially including major players such as Epic Games, Amazon, Samsung and Microsoft.
The Bigger Battle Between Google and Epic
The latest development is part of a much larger legal battle.
Epic Games sued Google over its Android app distribution practices after a dispute involving Fortnite and Google's Play Store policies. In 2023, a U.S. jury found Google had unlawfully maintained a monopoly in certain aspects of Android app distribution.
Judge James Donato subsequently ordered a series of remedies intended to increase competition.
Google and Epic later reached a settlement, but Google and Epic withdrew a joint request to modify the court's injunction in July 2026. As a result, Google became subject to the broader court-ordered remedies requiring greater support for competing app stores.
What This Means for Android Users
For Android users, the most important change could be greater choice.
If alternative app stores become easier to find and install, users may have more options for downloading applications, games and other digital content.
It could also encourage competing app stores to offer better prices, exclusive applications, different payment options and other incentives to attract users.
At the same time, users should still be careful when installing software from third-party marketplaces. Alternative app stores can have different security and app-review systems, so users should pay attention to the reputation of the store and the applications they install.
What This Means for Google
For Google, the changes could reduce some of the Play Store's control over Android app distribution.
Google Play has traditionally been the primary destination for Android users looking for applications. Giving competing stores greater visibility could increase competition for users and developers.
However, the court's latest order does not mean Google Play is disappearing. Instead, it is intended to prevent Google from making competing app stores unnecessarily difficult to discover or install.
The bigger question now is whether these changes will be enough to allow alternative app stores to build a meaningful user base.
What Happens Next?
Google has agreed to make adjustments within the timeframe set by Judge Donato.
The company will need to improve how alternative app stores appear in Play Store search and remove unnecessary steps from their installation process.
If Google successfully implements these changes, Android users in the U.S. could soon have a more straightforward way to discover competing app marketplaces.
The development could also have wider implications for the future of mobile app distribution, especially as regulators and courts around the world continue examining the power held by Apple and Google over smartphone ecosystems.
Final Thoughts
Google's latest Android changes represent an important step toward greater competition in mobile app distribution. But the court's criticism shows that simply allowing alternative app stores to exist is not enough.
If competing stores are difficult to find or require significantly more steps to install than Google Play, users may continue choosing the default option.
The coming weeks will show whether Google's updated approach genuinely gives alternative app stores a fair opportunity to compete or simply meets the minimum requirements set by the court.
Source: Engadget and The Verge reporting on the U.S. court proceedings.