Aptoide has returned to Google Play in the United States after more than a decade, becoming the first rival Android app store to take advantage of new rules allowing competing marketplaces to be distributed through Google’s store. The change follows years of legal challenges over Google’s control of Android app distribution.
The Portugal-based company said in its official announcement that US users can now install Aptoide directly from Google Play instead of sideloading it. Aptoide offers more than 40,000 Android apps and says it serves about 25 million monthly active users, with the US representing its largest market.
Court Ruling Opened Google Play to Rival Stores
The change stems from Epic Games’ antitrust case against Google, which resulted in a jury verdict against Google in 2023 and a permanent injunction issued in 2024. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld the relevant remedies aimed at restoring competition in Android app distribution.
Those remedies include catalog access and app-store distribution requirements that force Google to make room for competing Android marketplaces. Google had challenged those provisions, but the appeals court rejected its attempt to stop them while extending the compliance period.
Google has since introduced its Play Catalog Access Program, which allows qualifying third-party US Android app stores to access Google Play’s catalog and offer those apps through their own storefronts. The program took effect on July 22, 2026, after developers were given the option to exclude their listings beforehand.
Aptoide’s return is the first visible result of those changes inside Google Play. The store had previously relied on sideloading in the US, adding additional steps before Android users could install it.
Android App Distribution Becomes More Open
Google Play remains the main Android app marketplace in the US, but the new rules lower one of the barriers facing competing stores. Users can now discover and install an alternative marketplace from within Google Play rather than first changing device settings or downloading an installer from the web.
The Play Catalog Access Program also gives participating stores access to app listings already available through Google Play. Downloads are still completed using Google Play infrastructure under the program, while the third-party marketplace remains independently operated.
Aptoide’s arrival could be followed by other Android marketplaces as the new requirements take effect. Google has also been making other changes following the Epic litigation, including lowering some Play Store commissions and reducing friction around installing alternative app stores in the US.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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