Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Aptoide becomes the first third-party app store to land inside Google Play

You can now download a rival app store directly from Google Play.

By Manisha Priyadarshini Published August 10, 2026

google-play-store-remotely-uninstall-android-apps — Google

For over a decade, finding a rival Android app store meant hunting down APK files and clicking through security warnings. But that changes now. Aptoide Games, a gaming-focused marketplace, is available for download directly through Google Play in the United States. It marks the first time a competing app store has officially landed inside Google‘s own platform since it shut the door on rivals more than ten years ago.

Why Google finally opened the door to Play Store

Google’s longstanding legal battle with Epic Games set this in motion. Epic sued both Google and Apple back in 2020, after Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store for bypassing its in-app payment system. The lawsuit dragged on for years, and in 2024, a US District Judge ruled in Epic’s favor, ordering Google to open the Play Store to competing app stores.

Recommended Videos

Later on, Google and Epic worked out a settlement that introduced new billing options for developers alongside a formal program letting registered third-party app stores plug into Google Play. The final rules only went into effect last month, clearing the way for third-party stores like Aptoide to actually launch.

Google’s new framework, called Play Catalog Access, lets qualifying marketplaces integrate with Play Store infrastructure while still operating independently. Aptoide has a history here too, since it was actually available on Google Play in Android’s early years before getting pushed out entirely.

Why this is a big moment for Android

Aptoide’s arrival is about more than mobile games. It represents a new level of competition on Android after several years of Google controlling the easiest path to app discovery. The company says users now have more choice, while developers gain another way to distribute their apps without relying solely on Google Play.

For now, Aptoide Games is only available through Google Play in the United States, although Android users elsewhere can still install it through sideloading. Since Google Play Store has already created a dedicated section for third-party app stores, Aptoide won’t be the only rival app store, as Amazon, Samsung, and even the Epic Games Store could also follow.

Manisha Priyadarshini

News Writer

Manisha Priyadarshini is a tech and entertainment writer with over nine years of editorial experience.

Topics

Phones

Xiaomi 18 Fold has me questioning what a compact phone should look like, or even cost

I love compact phones, but these wide foldables have me rethinking the whole concept now

Xiaomi 18 Fold at IFA 2026

The best part of my job is the access to some of the coolest gadgets, especially the latest and greatest smartphones. Even then, I often found myself gravitating towards compact phones. At this point, I'd even skip a premium foldable just so I could have something a little more handy.

But every now and then, a larger phone would have this one feature or show me why a bigger phone is still so popular. I also want to play games, watch videos, and occasionally keep two apps open without fighting for every inch of screen space. A smaller phone makes many parts of my life easier, but the compromises aren't nonexistent. Simply making the phone wider may solve those problems, but eventually it becomes harder to handle again.

Phones

Xiaomi’s latest foldable has me convinced this design is here to stay

The Xiaomi 18 Fold pairs an unusual wider design with a surprisingly large battery, homegrown silicon, and flagship cameras, all packed into a 219-gram body.

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

September is becoming a very interesting month for foldable phones, and Xiaomi has just added another to the pile. The Xiaomi 18 Fold has launched in China with a shorter, wider shape that looks a little like a passport when closed. It’s quite a departure from the tall and narrow book-style foldables we’ve become used to, but Xiaomi isn't alone in thinking this might be the way forward.

Samsung already went down a similar road with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in July, giving it a shorter, wider footprint and a 4:3 display when unfolded. Apple is expected to reveal its first foldable iPhone on September 9 — just two days after Xiaomi's launch — and rumors have repeatedly pointed toward a similar passport-style design. Then there's Huawei, which launched the Mate XT 2 today as well, although it is taking things in an entirely different direction with a tri-fold design.

Phones

Huawei’s latest tri-fold can take an ECG, and it’s like the old Galaxy era is back

This Samsung Galaxy S5 feature is getting revived for Huawei's $3000 tri-folding phone

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Huawei just dropped its new tri-fold as a spectacular piece of hardware. The redesigned Mate XT 2 has a 10.2-inch folding display, a tougher inward-folding mechanism, and a jaw-dropping price tag. But now that Huawei has revealed the full specifications, one of its most interesting features has little to do with the screen.

The Mate XT 2 can record an electrocardiogram, or ECG, using electrodes built into its metal frame. So if a user unfolds the phone and holds the two sides with both hands, the device can capture a 30-second reading. The accompanying software then generates an ECG report that can flag sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions, and premature atrial contractions in adults.