--- title: "Third-party Android app stores: what the current setup looks like for US developers" description: "Third-party Android app stores are getting easier to access in the US. Here’s how the current setup works, which stores matter, and what developers need to know about sharing their Google Play listings." language: "en" publishedAt: "2026-08-31T06:57:47.837Z" updatedAt: "2026-08-31T06:57:47.837Z" authors: - name: "Margarita Loktionova" url: "https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/author/margarita-loktionova" category: "Growth" categoryUrl: "https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth" canonical: "https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/third-party-android-app-stores-us" --- # Third-party Android app stores: what the current setup looks like for US developers Third-party Android app stores are getting easier to access in the US. Here’s how the current setup works, which stores matter, and what developers need to know about sharing their Google Play listings. ## Table of contents - [What are third-party Android app stores?](#what-are-third-party-android-app-stores) - [The Play Catalog Access Program](#the-play-catalog-access-program) - [Installing a third-party store: before vs. now](#installing-a-third-party-store-before-vs-now) - [What this means for developers](#what-this-means-for-developers) - [Where to go from here](#where-to-go-from-here) Third-party app stores have been part of Android from the start. Some come preinstalled, like Galaxy Store on Samsung phones or Amazon's Appstore on Fire devices. Installing most other stores in the US typically meant sideloading: digging through security settings, downloading an APK from the web, and clicking past warnings. For some stores, that's no longer the case. Under changes required by the Epic v. Google ruling, approved third-party stores in the US can be installed from inside Google Play and can offer apps from Play’s own catalog. Aptoide Games is already enrolled, and more will likely follow. In this guide, we'll cover what third-party Android stores are, how the program works, which stores to consider, and how to make that opt-out call on purpose. > **Tip:** > The July 22, 2026 changes affect how apps get discovered and installed via third‑party storefronts in the US. But they don’t change what you earn: downloads still complete through Google Play, and Google’s fee still applies. One aspect directly affects Android developers today: your app’s listing is being shared with these stores by default, unless you’ve opted out in the Play Console. ## What are third-party Android app stores? Third-party Android app stores are app marketplaces that operate outside Google Play. Each one has its own catalog, its own search, and its own update mechanism. The main ones operating in the US include: - **Amazon Appstore:** Amazon's store for Fire tablets and Fire TV devices, with its own billing system. - **Samsung Galaxy Store:** Preinstalled on every Samsung phone, with its own billing and subscription system. - **Epic Games Store:** Epic's own storefront, and the company whose lawsuit against Google set this year's changes in motion. - **Aptoide:** Portugal-based, with around 25 million monthly users, and the first store to appear inside Google Play in the US under this program. - **F-Droid:** A catalog of open-source apps only, with no billing system at all. - **Outside the US**: The list gets much longer, with ONE Store in South Korea, Xiaomi's GetApps, and dozens more. The difference has always been in distribution. Google Play ships on nearly every Android device. Galaxy Store comes preinstalled on Samsung phones, and Amazon Appstore on Fire devices. Most other independent stores, however, faced the same two hurdles: users had to sideload them, and their catalogs had to be built from scratch. ![How apps reach Android devices - scheme](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c3qnx9b0/production/ed2e861e90cdf69bff83ad84c6d1fd9fd0251bfd-2880x1620.png) The Play Catalog Access Program tackles these limitations. ## The Play Catalog Access Program The [Play Catalog Access Program](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17117200?hl=en-GB) lets approved third-party stores in the US access Google Play's app catalog and offer those apps to users. Downloads still complete through Google Play, and Google's fee still applies. This solves both problems we covered above: enrolled stores can be installed from inside Google Play, and they can offer apps from Play's catalog instead of building their own from scratch. A few things to know about how it works: - **It comes from a court order.** Google created the program to satisfy the permanent injunction in Epic v. Google. The injunction was entered in October 2024 and became effective on November 1, 2024, and the catalog-access provisions took effect on July 22, 2026. - **It won't last forever, at least not automatically.** The court order's remedies run for three years from the November 1, 2024 effective date, which puts the end around November 1, 2027. Even though some pieces, like catalog access, only arrived in mid-2026. - **Enrollment is gated for app stores**. They have to meet Google's security and policy requirements and pay $5,000 upfront, plus $5,000 a year. - **Google Play's full content policies don't apply**. Stores set their own rules, subject to Google’s eligibility and safety requirements. ## Installing a third-party store: before vs. now Until July, getting an independent store onto a user's phone was a small act of determination. The user went to a website, downloaded an APK, and Android did everything short of begging them to stop: a settings toggle, a warning screen, a blocked install. The new system is supposed to make it as simple as installing any other app: | | **Before the program** | **Now** | | --- | --- | --- | | **How users find these stores** | Web search, manual APK download | Search inside Google Play | | **How users install them** | "Unknown sources" toggle, warning screens | Directly from Google Play, with some extra steps still being removed | | **Where the store's catalog comes from** | Built from scratch | Can include Google Play's own listings | | **How your app's downloads complete** | Through the store's own systems | Through Google Play | | **Whose content policies cover your listing** | The store's own | The store's own, unchanged | | **What users pay for these installs** | No such installs existed | Nothing. These installs run through Google Play's billing. | In practice, the first weeks were rockier. Rival stores were hard to find in Google Play's search, and installing one took extra steps. At an August 13 hearing, Judge James Donato [ordered ](https://www.androidpolice.com/expect-easier-access-to-alternative-android-app-stores-next-week/)Google to fix this within a week, and Google agreed to make the changes by August 20. ## What this means for developers The Play Catalog Access Program doesn't require any code tweaks or affect what you pay Google. What matters is one page in Play Console, called Catalog Settings: since July 22, it's been sharing your listing with enrolled third-party stores by default. In [Play Console](https://play.google.com/console/), go to **Settings**, then **Catalog Settings**. You'll see **three options**: - Share all listings with all enrolled stores - Manage per store - Opt out The first option is preselected, so unless someone on your team has changed it, sharing is already on. It doesn't add extra cost and increases visibility. The catch is that every enrolled store sets its own content policies. Google doesn't control what else gets listed there or how your app is displayed. Whether that matters depends on your app. If you have compliance obligations or an audience that needs extra protection (e.g., healthcare, finance, apps for kids), switch to the per-store option and vet each store before allowing it. Read its trust and safety policies, browse its catalog, and see how it presents apps like yours. Then, allow the ones that pass, skip the ones that don't, or opt out of the program entirely. > **Tip:** > Aptoide Games is the only enrolled store visible in Google Play, but more will likely join, so check back as the list grows. ## Where to go from here The Catalog Access Program adds enrolled stores like Aptoide Games to that list, making reaching new users much more accessible. A few other things to keep in mind: - **Aptoide Games is the only enrolled store visible so far**, so revisit your choice as more stores join. - **Your fees and billing stay the same no matter what you pick**. Google's other programs, like alternative billing (letting users pay through a non-Google payment system) and external offers (linking users out to buy on your website), are a [separate decision](https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/engineering/play-billing-choice). - **Existing Amazon Appstore integrations on Fire devices and Galaxy Store integrations aren't affected**, so there’s nothing to change there. If you distribute through [Amazon Appstore](https://www.revenuecat.com/docs/platform-resources/amazon-platform-resources) or [Galaxy Store](https://www.revenuecat.com/docs/platform-resources/galaxy-platform-resources/galaxy-setup-guide), and don't want to manage each store's billing yourself, RevenueCat's SDK supports both. --- ## Related posts - [Expanding from iOS to Android: A subscription app’s guide to Android](https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/android-launch-guide-for-ios-apps)