Beginning next week, third-party Android app stores in the United States will gain access to the Google Play Store, thanks to the launch of Google’s Play Catalog Access Program. This initiative allows developers to submit app and game listings that will be made available to external Android app stores, thereby broadening the accessibility for users.
Details of the Play Catalog Access Program
As part of this new program, third-party app stores will be downloadable directly from within the Google Play Store. Notably, Google Play’s service fees will still apply to these transactions. Historically, users have sideloaded third-party apps not found in the Play Store onto their Android devices. With this change, however, users can now conveniently download these apps directly from the Play Store by accessing the respective third-party app stores.
This strategic move follows a court order resulting from a protracted legal dispute between Epic Games and Google. Epic Games initiated the lawsuit in 2020, alleging that the Play Store constituted a monopoly over the Android operating system. Following a ruling against Google, a U.S. District Court judge mandated changes to the Play Store in 2024.
In November, Google and Epic reached a settlement, proposing a series of modifications aimed at enhancing developer choice and flexibility, reducing fees, and fostering competition while ensuring user safety. Although the companies were set to present their proposed changes in court this week, they opted to withdraw the proposal and instead unveil the Play Catalog Access Program.
Under the new terms, third-party app stores will incur a service fee of ,000 for an onboarding security review and an annual fee of ,000 to maintain access to the Play catalog. However, it is important to note that these third-party app stores will not be permitted to use the Play Store for distributing their apps to users outside the United States, as stipulated by Google’s requirements.
Earlier this year, Google also announced a reduction in its commission for app purchases to 10%, alongside the introduction of outside billing options within the Play Store. This allows developers to direct users to their own websites for in-game or in-app purchases, further enhancing the flexibility for developers in the evolving app marketplace.
