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Google Play opens to rival app stores on July 22
Google says it will begin carrying competing app stores inside Google Play on July 22 after abandoning a bid to soften a court order.
Image: TNW
Google will start carrying rival app stores inside Google Play on Wednesday, July 22, according to a court filing first reported by The Verge. The shift marks a major expansion of Android’s long-standing sideloading model, and it follows years of litigation between Google and Epic Games.
The case goes back to 2023, when a jury found that Google Play was an illegal monopoly. In October 2024, Judge James Donato ordered Google to host competing app stores inside Play and to share its full app catalog with them. Google initially fought that remedy, then reached a settlement with Epic in late 2025 that reportedly included a secret $800 million payment.
That deal would have replaced the in-store requirement with a “Registered App Stores” system, letting users sideload rival stores instead. But the court was unconvinced. In a July report, court-appointed economist Nancy Rose of MIT said the plan was “unlikely” to help rivals break Google’s hold because users rarely switch away from the app store they already know.
With a hearing approaching, Google and Epic withdrew their motion to modify the remedies. Google said it did so to avoid:
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“prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem.”
That leaves the original court order in place.
How Google Play rival stores will work
From July 22, an approved rival store will be able to pull the Google Play catalog into its own storefront, according to Ars Technica. Developers will be included by default, though they can opt out.
Google still retains significant control. App downloads will continue to run through Google, and Google will still collect a fee. Rival stores must also:
- pay $5,000 per year for review
- operate only in the US
- accept every eligible developer
- keep malware below 1% of installs
Europe and Brazil already moved first
The broader idea is already in motion elsewhere. In Europe, the Digital Markets Act requires Apple and Google to allow rival app stores, and Brazil has also opened iOS to alternatives. Switzerland recently opened a probe into Google’s Android choice screen, while the US Supreme Court declined to pause a similar order against Apple.
Money has already changed hands in the Epic settlement. Under that agreement, Google cut its app store commission from 30% to as low as 10%, and allowed developers to use outside payment links.
The remaining question is which companies move fastest. Microsoft has long discussed an Xbox mobile store, while Epic and Amazon already run their own app stores. After years of court battles, the opening inside Google Play now has a firm date: July 22.
Enterprise Editor
Marcus follows the money. He covers enterprise software, cloud architecture, and the tectonic shifts in Big Tech strategy. He translates dense earnings calls and complex M&A activity into actionable insights about where the industry is actually heading. If a tech giant makes a silent pivot, Marcus is usually the first to notice.
via TNW
