Breaking
Police authorities in Belize City are investigating a fatal late-night drive-by shooting that claimed the life of 21-year-old Jaheem SanchezMissing Holland Woman Brittany Ritter Found Deceased in IndianaFranklin Small Business Owner Charity Lynn Maloy Passes AwayBonifay Resident Cortney Nicole Reddick Passes Away at Age 35; Celebration of Life Service ScheduledCommunity members, choir singers, and faith leaders across Southern California are mourning the tragic passing of 33-year-old musician and educator Braden PontoliIndependent Investigation Launched Following Death of Duncan Police Officer Vincent SchenckFresno Rider Gregory Hansen Dies Following Collision With Bicycle-Pulled CartBrother Charged With Murder After GBI Identifies Remains of Missing Dougherty County TeenagerPolice authorities in Belize City are investigating a fatal late-night drive-by shooting that claimed the life of 21-year-old Jaheem SanchezMissing Holland Woman Brittany Ritter Found Deceased in IndianaFranklin Small Business Owner Charity Lynn Maloy Passes AwayBonifay Resident Cortney Nicole Reddick Passes Away at Age 35; Celebration of Life Service ScheduledCommunity members, choir singers, and faith leaders across Southern California are mourning the tragic passing of 33-year-old musician and educator Braden PontoliIndependent Investigation Launched Following Death of Duncan Police Officer Vincent SchenckFresno Rider Gregory Hansen Dies Following Collision With Bicycle-Pulled CartBrother Charged With Murder After GBI Identifies Remains of Missing Dougherty County Teenager
GRC
Sign in
Technology

An Android app store competitor is available in the Play Store

A competitor to Google's app store, Aptoide Games, is now available in the Play Store.

10 Aug 2026 2 min 0
WhatsAppX Facebook
An Android app store competitor is available in the Play Store

You can download Aptoide Games now in the US.

Stockinq/Shutterstock

Today brings a development Google has fought long and hard against: A rival Android app store is officially available in Google Play.

Aptoide has announced that Aptoide Games is now downloadable through Google Play for Android users in the United States. The company specializes in mobile games but was previously only available through preinstalls or sideloading.

Google has fought to be the only easy app store option for Android users. "More than ten years ago, Android users lost the ability to discover alternative app stores through Google Play," Aptoide CEO and co-founder Paulo Trezentos said in the announcement. "Today, that changes. Users gain more choice, developers gain additional distribution opportunities, and Android becomes a more open and competitive ecosystem."

After nearly half a decade of fighting between Google and Epic Games, US District Judge James Donato ordered Google to open the Play Store to competitors in 2024. The latter party sued both Google and Apple in 2020 for removing Fortnite from their app stores. Google had blocked both OnePlus and LG from offering the game in a way that bypassed the Google Play store.

Epic and Google have since reached an agreement that includes "more billing options, a program for registered app stores, and lower fees and new programs for developers," according to a Google blog post. That includes allowing third-party app stores on Google Play.

These third-party app stores have only been available since July 22. Aptoide might be the first company to take advantage of the rule change, but it certainly won't be the last.

Original source