Google ordered to make alternative app stores easier to install within a week
A U.S. judge has given Google one week to remove what he calls anticompetitive friction in the installation of third-party app stores. The order follows concerns raised in the company's antitrust case with Epic.
Judge James Donato, the U.S. District Court judge who oversaw Google's antitrust battle with Epic, has ordered the company to adjust how it presents third-party app stores on the Play Store. According to The Verge, Donato believes Google introduced unnecessary friction to the download process and must implement changes within a week.
Epic's lawyers demonstrated that searching for “store for apps” in the Play Store returned no app stores or rather only physical retailers such as Walmart. Third-party app stores also do not appear in the standard search results; they are hidden under a banner. Donato reportedly said that is unacceptable and needs fixing.
Another point of contention was Google's treatment of Aptoide, currently the only third-party app store available on the Play Store. Instead of the usual “Install” button, users see a “View” button, forcing them through additional menus. Donato suggested this extra layer discourages downloads.
Google ultimately agreed to make the required changes and implement them within the next week. The company announced it would support third-party app stores in March 2026, as part of a settlement with Epic reached near the end of 2025. That settlement modified the remedy Donato had ordered in 2024 after a court found in 2023 that Google held a monopoly in app distribution. Google's first attempt, it seems, was not loose enough.
