app stores

Google Play will begin distributing third-party Android app stores in the United States on July 22, 2026, ending the practical barrier that kept rival storefronts dependent on sideloading. Google has also opened onboarding for its new Third-party App Store on Play Program, a court-driven change...

Google will begin letting qualifying third-party Android app stores access the Play catalog in the United States on July 22, a new step in the remedies flowing from its antitrust fight with Epic Games. The change does not turn Android into a free-for-all: Google Play will still handle app...