Android’s biggest app store shake-up in years begins next week

Android is heading for its biggest app store shake-up in years. Starting July 22, third-party Android stores in the US can access Google Play’s catalog and offer those apps through their own storefronts.

The change comes after Google and Epic Games withdrew their joint attempt to modify the permanent injunction in their long-running court battle. Google must now follow the original order requiring it to distribute rival stores through Google Play. Its support documentation confirms the July 22 launch date, though competing stores must enroll before they can participate.

How will rival app stores work inside Google Play

Participating stores can display descriptions, screenshots, and other materials pulled from Google Play listings. When someone chooses an app, the download will still go through Google under the same terms as a direct Play Store installation.

Google will continue collecting its service fee on those downloads. Developers can share their listings with every enrolled store, manage each one individually, or opt out completely. Anyone who doesn’t choose an option before July 22 will have their listings shared by default.

Rival stores get an instant catalog, but they won’t have an independent distribution system.

What must competing app stores do to qualify

The catalog doesn’t come without conditions. Third-party stores must pay $5,000 each year for security and policy reviews, and they can only operate within the US. They must also accept every eligible developer instead of limiting their catalogs to preferred partners.

Participating stores need clear trust and safety policies, while malware must remain below 1% of installation attempts. Those requirements help answer the obvious security concerns surrounding outside storefronts.

They also leave Google with considerable control over which competitors qualify. Android is gaining more places to discover apps, but Google still writes the entry requirements.

What changes for Android users next week

July 22 marks the program’s launch, but rival stores won’t necessarily appear inside Google Play that morning. Operators must qualify and launch their storefronts before users notice any difference.

Once they arrive, Android users could browse alternative stores without sideloading them from unfamiliar websites. The result may feel less dramatic than the legal fight behind it, especially because Google still completes every download.

Still, appearing inside Google Play gives alternative stores something they’ve struggled to secure on Android. They’ll finally have visibility among the same mainstream users they’re trying to pull away from Google.