Third-party app stores are coming to Android phones in the US soon. Google has launched a dedicated page for its Play Catalog access program, announcing that third-party Android app stores in the United States will be able to access the Play Store app catalog starting July 22. He also informed developers that the app and game listings they submitted to Google will be made available to external Android app stores, which will be able to offer their products to users.
Downloads of apps through third-party stores will always be done through Google Play. The company’s service fees will also apply to apps downloaded through external stores. Google said in its announcements that it was implementing the change to comply with a court order, stemming from its long-running legal battle against Epic Games.
Google and Epic reached a settlement in November 2025, filing an amended version of the order that U.S. District Judge James Donato initially imposed on Google when it lost the case. In March, they revealed that their amended policy involved the launch of a “Registered App Stores” program. Third-party stores that sign up with the program “will have a more streamlined installation flow” as downloaded apps. In other words, they will be easier to install than unregistered stores, but they will still need to be downloaded. Google is abandoning this plan.
According to The edgeThe companies withdrew their amended regulations and will no longer challenge them in court on July 16. With the Play Catalog Access program, third-party app stores will be downloadable from Google Play itself.
“We have agreed with Epic to withdraw our motion to modify the US court injunction rather than prolong this process, which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem,” Google spokesperson Dan Jackson said. The edge. “This allows us to focus on evolving our recently announced global business model to deliver greater app store selection, 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. At the same time, we continue to comply with the U.S. court injunction.”
Third-party app stores will have to pay Google an upfront service fee of $5,000 for security review during onboarding, as well as $5,000 each year to maintain access to the Play app catalog. They will also have to meet a number of requirements, the most important of which is that their store must target users in the United States. In fact, they legally cannot use the Play catalog to distribute apps to users outside the United States.
In addition to opening Android to third-party stores, Google also opened the Play Store to external billing and reduced its commission on app purchases from 30% to 10%, as part of its deal with Epic Games. Developers can now offer alternative payments or link users to their own websites to make purchases from their app or game listings.
