Google will allow third-party app stores on Android next week
Starting on July 22, third-party app stores will be able to access Google’s app catalog.
Third-party app stores are coming to Android phones in the US soon. Google has launched a dedicated page for its Play Catalog Access Program, announcing that third-party US Android app stores will be able to access the Play store's catalog of apps starting on July 22. It has also notified developers that the app and game listings they submitted to Google will be made available to external Android app stores, which will be able to offer their products to users.
App downloads through the third-party stores will still be completed through Google Play. The company's service fees will also apply to apps downloaded through the external stores. Google said in its announcements that it's implementing the change to comply with a court order, which came from its lengthy legal battle against Epic Games.
Google and Epic reached a settlement in November 2025, filing a modified version of the order US District Judge James Donato originally imposed on Google when it lost the case. In March, they revealed that their modified settlement involved the launch of a "Registered App Stores" program. Third-party stores that register with the program "will have a more simplified installation flow" as sideloaded apps. In other words, they'll be easier to install than unregistered stores, but they'll still have to be sideloaded. Google is doing away with that plan.
According to The Verge, the companies withdrew their modified settlement and will no longer argue it in court on July 16. With the Play Catalog Access Program, third-party app stores will be downloadable from within Google Play itself.
"We've agreed with Epic to withdraw our motion to modify the US Court's injunction rather than prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem," Google spokesperson Dan Jackson told The Verge. "This allows us to focus on executing our recently announced global business model evolution to deliver greater app store choice, lower prices, and more opportunities for developers and users. We remain committed to maintaining Android's industry-leading security and fostering a competitive ecosystem where every app store and developer has the freedom to compete. In parallel, we continue to comply with the US Court's injunction."
Third-party app stores will have to pay google an upfront service fee of $5,000 for security review during onboarding, as well as $5,000 every year to maintain access to the Play catalog of apps. They will also have to meet a lengthy set of requirements, the most important of which is that their store must target users in the US. In fact, they legally can't use the Play catalog to distribute apps to users outside of the United States.
In addition to opening up Android to third-party stores, Google also opened the Play store to outside billing and lowered its commission for app purchases from 30 percent to 10 percent, as part of its settlement with Epic Games. Developers can now offer alternative payments or link users to their own websites for purchase within their app or game listings.