Google will host rival Android app stores next week

Google backs down, third-party stores go live July 22nd

Epic Games and Google have jointly withdrawn their attempt to retroactively change the court order reshaping Android app distribution in the US. With that move, Google will now be required to host rival app stores inside Google Play, and the company told the court it’s ready to start on Wednesday, July 22nd.

The shift stems from Judge James Donato’s October 2024 ruling that Google held an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution. His original permanent injunction didn’t just open up payments — it required Google to carry competing Android app stores in Google Play and to share its entire Play catalog with them for several years.

The deal Google and Epic tried to cut

Google has been pushing back on that injunction since it was issued and eventually got Epic to align with its new approach. The two companies settled their legal fights globally, including what the article describes as a secret $800 million deal, and proposed a different model: “Registered App Stores” that users would sideload instead of downloading directly from Google Play.

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Judge Donato was skeptical of that pivot. He questioned whether he should walk away from his original injunction in favor of Google’s sideload-only proposal.

Both sides had been scheduled to argue the issue again in court on Thursday, July 16th, but that now looks unnecessary.

Google’s statement: focus on the injunction, not a rewrite

Google spokesperson Dan Jackson provided this statement on why the company is walking away from its requested changes to the injunction:

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. 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.

Two models for Android: US vs. the rest of the world

Outside the US, Google still plans to roll out its sideloaded Registered App Store program with the next version of Android later this year. That sets up an unusual split:

• United States: third-party stores can live inside Google Play, plus access to the Play app catalog under court-ordered terms.
• Rest of world: third-party stores participate as Registered App Stores, which users sideload onto their devices.

The Verge notes this could open the door for companies like Microsoft to launch an Xbox game store on Android, though no such store has been announced.

How the Play catalog access will work

Google is already notifying US developers that, starting July 22nd, their apps and game listings will automatically be shared with participating third-party stores, unless they explicitly opt out. The company has launched a dedicated Play Catalog Access Program page where third-party app stores can enroll.

The injunction doesn’t spell out a special on-ramp for these stores inside Google Play. It simply says Google “may not prohibit the distribution of third-party Android app distribution platforms or stores through the Google Play Store” — leaving open whether they’ll be handled through a new program or submitted like any other app.

To tap into the Play catalog, third-party stores will:

• Pay $5,000 per year for “security and policy reviews.”
• Be restricted from distributing apps outside of the US.
• Be required to stay open to all eligible third-party developers.
• Need “clear, non-discriminatory” trust and safety policies.
• Keep malware install attempts under 1 percent of total install attempts.

Fees and billing still to be defined

Many details on pricing, billing models, and revenue shares around Android app distribution remain unsettled. As The Verge notes, Epic and Google have already pushed the ecosystem toward lower fees and outside payment options, but the full economic impact of third-party stores inside Google Play will take more time — and more documentation from Google — to surface.

For now, the concrete change is immediate: starting July 22nd, US Android users will be able to install rival app stores directly from Google Play, backed by Google’s own app catalog access program and a court order that Google and Epic just stopped trying to rewrite.