The parent company of Alphabet (GOOGL.US) has informed a federal court in California that it will allow U.S. users to download third-party app stores directly from the Google Play Store starting next week.
In a court filing submitted late Tuesday, Google stated it is withdrawing its previous motion seeking modifications to the final judgment in its antitrust case with Epic Games, the developer of "Fortnite." This move effectively brings the long-running lawsuit to a close.
U.S. District Judge James Donato had previously ruled that Google must permit rival app stores within the Play Store to help Android users more easily switch to other app distribution channels.
Under the court's permanent injunction, issued in October 2024 and originally set to take effect in July 2026, Google is required to allow competing app stores onto Google Play and share its full app catalog with them for several years.
In March, the Android developer proposed an alternative plan to allow third-party app stores on Android phones via a registration process, which circumvented the requirement to host rival stores within the Play Store itself.
Google argued at the time that this workaround could enable a global solution while also complying with new regulatory requirements in Europe and other regions.
Judge Donato was scheduled to hold a hearing this week to evaluate Google's proposed modification. However, an economist hired by the court raised objections to keeping competing app stores outside the Play Store.
In a July 10 report, MIT economics professor Nancy Rose stated, "I do not think the registered app store plan would achieve the same results as distribution through Google Play."
She explained that new entrants promoting their stores via web downloads must persuade users to leave their familiar mobile environment, navigate to a potentially unfamiliar website, and complete installation there. In contrast, an app store offered within the Play Store could convert the same marketing into a direct installation within the store users already use.
In a statement, Google said it agreed to withdraw its proposal to avoid "prolonging a process that creates uncertainty for the ecosystem" and will continue to comply with other terms of Judge Donato's ruling.
Google spokesperson Dan Jackson stated the company will focus on its previously announced global adjustments to its app store business model, aiming to provide more choice and lower costs for developers and users while maintaining the security of the Android platform.
According to information Google submitted to the court, the company plans to officially support third-party app stores within Google Play starting July 22, U.S. time.
At that point, U.S. users will be able to search for and download other Android app stores directly through Google Play, eliminating the need for side-loading installations.
Epic has not yet commented on the recent court filings.
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