For over a decade, Android users couldn’t find a competing app store through Google Play. That just changed. Aptoide announced that its Aptoide Games store is now available to download directly through Google Play for US users. Think about that for a second. Google, a company that spent years fighting this exact outcome, now has to host a competitor right inside its own storefront.
Aptoide specializes in mobile games and was previously only accessible through sideloading or preinstalls on certain devices. Neither of those options is exactly user-friendly, which is why getting into the Play Store matters. Millions of everyday Android users who would never mess with sideloading can now grab a competing store in a few taps.
This didn’t happen because Google had a change of heart. It happened because Epic Games sued Google back in 2020 after Fortnite got pulled from the Play Store. That legal battle ran for nearly five years. In 2024, US District Judge James Donato ordered Google to open the Play Store to rival app stores. Google had also blocked both OnePlus and LG from offering Fortnite in ways that bypassed its platform, which didn’t help Google’s case. Epic and Google eventually reached a settlement that includes more billing options, lower fees for developers, and a formal program for registered third-party app stores.
The wider implications here are real. Google’s Play Store takes a cut of in-app purchases and app sales, and developers have complained about that for years. A competing store with lower fees gives developers actual options. It also gives users the chance to find apps and games that Google might never feature or approve. Aptoide CEO Paulo Trezentos put it plainly in the announcement: “More than ten years ago, Android users lost the ability to discover alternative app stores through Google Play. Today, that changes.”
Third-party app stores have only been allowed on the Play Store since July 22, so this is very early days. Aptoide is almost certainly just the first company to move fast on this. More stores will follow. And while some of those will be sketchy, the pressure this creates on Google to treat developers better is worth watching. Competition has a funny way of doing that.