started · updated
Google ordered to simplify rival Android app store installations
A US federal judge has ordered Google to remove 'anticompetitive friction' from the Google Play Store to facilitate the installation of rival Android app stores. During a compliance hearing in San Francisco, Judge James Donato ruled that Google's current methods for discovering and installing third-party marketplaces are deliberately obstructive.
Key issues identified by the court include search algorithm failures, where queries like 'store for apps' returned retail apps like Walmart instead of digital marketplaces, and cumbersome installation workflows. Specifically, the judge ordered Google to change the 'View' button to an 'Install' button for third-party stores and to eliminate unnecessary interstitial banners and 'Are you looking for?' prompts that redirect users.
Google has been given one week to implement these changes. This ruling follows a 2023 jury verdict that found Google held an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution. While Google has begun allowing third-party stores—with Aptoide being the first to launch—the court found the execution insufficient to meet the requirements of the previous injunction.
Entities
Android · Aptoide · Epic Games · Google · James Donato · San Francisco
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Google must change the 'View' button to an 'Install' button for third-party app stores to match the experience of standard apps. dailyguardian.ca · www.diarioestrategia.cl · www.iphoneincanada.ca · www.blogspan.net · www.intomobile.com
- [● 10 SOURCES] Google's current installation process for rival app stores contains unnecessary anticompetitive friction. dailyguardian.ca · www.diarioestrategia.cl · www.iphoneincanada.ca · www.it-boltwise.de · www.blogspan.net · +5 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Search results for app stores must include relevant results even if the user's phrasing is only 70 percent accurate. dailyguardian.ca · www.diarioestrategia.cl · www.blogspan.net · www.androidcentral.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Google must implement the court-ordered changes within one week. www.diarioestrategia.cl · www.it-boltwise.de · www.blogspan.net · cryptobriefing.com · www.intomobile.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Searching for 'store for apps' in the Play Store currently returns retail apps like Walmart instead of digital marketplaces. dailyguardian.ca · www.iphoneincanada.ca · www.blogspan.net · www.teknoblog.com · www.androidcentral.com · +1 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Epic Games and Google entered into a commercial partnership valued at $800 million over six years in January 2026. cryptobriefing.com · arstechnica.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Aptoide is the first third-party app store to be made available through the Google Play Store under the current injunction. www.blogspan.net · cryptobriefing.com · www.androidcentral.com · arstechnica.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Google uses interstitial banners and 'Are you looking for?' prompts to redirect users away from direct third-party store installations. www.iphoneincanada.ca · www.intomobile.com · www.androidcentral.com · arstechnica.com