First Rival Android App Store Arrives In the US Play Store 22
Aptoide has become the first third-party Android app store available directly through Google Play in the U.S. "The change is a direct result of Google's litigation with Epic, which saw a judge rule in 2024 that the Play Store would have to open up to third-party stores," notes The Verge. The change makes rival storefronts far easier to discover and install, potentially opening the door for Epic, Amazon, Samsung, Microsoft and others to distribute their own app stores through Google's store. From the report: Third-party app stores have always been available on Android, which is a more open platform than iOS in that respect. However, until now they've only been available if pre-installed on a device -- as with the Amazon Appstore on Fire tablets or Samsung's Galaxy Store -- or installed via sideloading. Listing rival storefronts within the Play Store makes them much easier for users to find and access.
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Aptoide itself is relatively little known, but it's likely to be the first of many alternative app stores. It's presumably only a matter of time before the Epic Store makes its own appearance, and the likes of Amazon, Samsung, and other phone manufacturers may also want to put their stores in front of potential customers.
Aptoide itself is relatively little known, but it's likely to be the first of many alternative app stores. It's presumably only a matter of time before the Epic Store makes its own appearance, and the likes of Amazon, Samsung, and other phone manufacturers may also want to put their stores in front of potential customers.
Since Google sponsored it (Score:1)
Re: Since Google sponsored it (Score:2)
For me, f-droid.org is the only "app store" I need (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:For me, f-droid.org is the only "app store" I n (Score:5, Informative)
Just FYI, F-droid is actually a fork of Aptoide, the original decentralised open source app store, even named after Debian's package manager.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
And I have a really hard time to understand why other people would want those
You have a hard time to understand that people would use a store that provides the software they want to use? I'm genuinely confused which neurons in your brain mis-fired in which order for you not understand this. F-droid is great, but it has just a tiny fraction of the software many people actually either need or may want.
If you're idea of a phone is just to make phone calls, well Ok Boomer you do you. Back in the real world people will use the systems which provide them the software they want to install
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When was the last time you visited https://f-droid.org [f-droid.org]? It has a pink banner over the top, linking to https://keepandroidopen.org [keepandroidopen.org]. The latter explains why f-droid (and many other apps) may soon not want to, or be able to, function on Android any longer.
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Regional restrictions. Google won't let me install some apps I need when travelling, but I can install them just fine from Aptoide, or via Obtainium.
Samsung (Score:2, Redundant)
>"and the likes of Amazon, Samsung, and other phone manufacturers may also want to put their stores in front of potential customers. "
Samsung has had their own store integrated into all their phones/tablets for a loooong time. That isn't news. So I think perhaps the phrase was meant that Samsung might want to also be able to put their store onto non-Samsung phones/tablets.
Re: (Score:1)
> Samsung has had their own store integrated into all their phones/tablets for a loooong time. ...where it's been roundly ignored by anyone with half a brain. The last thing the rest of us need is them trying to put it on non-samsung phones.
is F-droid available on Aptoide ? (Score:2)
The question is what can you get on Aptoide that you can't get on play
Can you get F-droid in the first place ?
One little step (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Now we need to start fighting for another door they just closed. Developers must now be registered at Googles mercy to be able to develop androidaccepted apps. Opensource, yeah right. Only if your nuts are in our hand.
Visit https://keepandroidopen.org [keepandroidopen.org] for the details, if you don't know about what parent is talking.
Re:One little step (Score:4, Insightful)
Did you know that the EU requires that application developers contact information be made available to users? It's in the Digital Services Act [europa.eu].
As part of that act, app stores (such as Google Play) are required to collect and display that information:
You want Google to comply with EU laws ...don't you?
Could Google find another (less intrusive) way to do this? Probably.. but this is straight-forward compliance in action.
You can still develop your own apps privately and self-publish them, but if you want to avoid registration you cannot use the easy-method of distribution and installation. You have to exist clearly and distinctly outside the ecosystem Google is legally responsible for.
Re: (Score:2)
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Yes. I can see that. Google could use that against a dev. Or not. I'm sure they have thought of it at least.
Amazon App Store (Score:2)
Beware the lesson that app stores that appear may alo dissapear, along with app access you paid for
Further enshitification? (Score:3)
WHAT ??? what happend to /. (Score:1)
What ever this thing is, it isn't the First Rival Android App Store
People here should know better !
Re: (Score:3)
But it is the first "rival Android App Store" in the US Play store. Unless you know different?
As the summary says, you have always been able to have other stores pre-loaded or side-loaded, but not been able to install them through the Play Store.