Google Play Now Offers Third-Party App Stores in the U.S.

In a stunning example of the power of antitrust to right wrongs, the Google Play Store is now open to third-party app stores in the U.S. And the first of those, called Aptoide Games, is now available.

“Google Play is now distributing third-party Android app stores in the United States,” a Google Play Store landing page explains. “To find, discover, and install third-party app stores, open the Play Store on your Android device and search for app stores or access them through your account menu.”

This change is the direct result of Epic Games prevailing in Epic v. Google, though the two companies originally tried to settle the case in a manner that would have been a lot less seamless than Google Play hosting third-party app stores. Instead, the two had agreed that Google would simply allow other app stores “without friction and additional fees,” a system that would have required side-loading. But that wasn’t good enough for Judge James Donato, who ordered a more seamless, consumer-friendly approach. The companies complied and announced their revised settlement back in March.

Though the third-party app store provision is U.S.-only for now, Google will launch a Registered App Store program worldwide later this year. Third-party app stores like Aptoide install just like any other app, with no sideloading or gratuitously ominous warnings. These app stores get access to the full Google Play app and game catalog, though those apps and games will be delivered through Google Play and are subject to Google fees.

“[These] changes remove the biggest discovery barrier alternative stores faced in the US,” the Aptoide Connect Team explains. “They become [available] one tap away, and they open with a full catalog on day one.”

Given that it instigated the antitrust lawsuit that led to these changes, it’s curious that Epic Games doesn’t have its own app store available via this new system already. But you can expect to see the Epic Games Store–and, I assume, a new Xbox app with game purchases–available in the Google Play Store soon.