Google will allow third-party app stores to connect with the Play Store in the US starting on July 22. The Play Catalog Access Program lets eligible app stores display and distribute apps and games from Google Play. Users will still get downloads and updates through Google Play, but they will also see the familiar installation flow and process when installing from another store.
The new Play Store support documentation says that only app stores operating in the US can join the access program; they'll also have to pass security and policy checks before they can access the catalog. Google will charge a $5,000 onboarding fee and $5,000 per year to maintain access. Play service fees on app transactions will remain, so commissions still apply even if users install from another store.
This change is taking place following Google's yearslong antitrust battle with Epic Games over Android apps and in-app billing. After a jury found Google's prohibition on third-party app stores to be indicative of an illegal monopoly, Google proposed reforms to how it managed app sales on Android. This involved Google offering more options for external billing and lowering some fees.
The new approach lets third‑party stores act more like alternative front‑ends to Play, rather than as separate systems with their own software and update processes.
For developers, the program means their existing Play listings can surface inside quite a few approved third‑party stores without extra uploads. For users, it offers more options for discovering apps across different store designs, while Google still handles the actual installation and security checks.
Google has yet to share when or if it will expand this catalog access model to markets outside of the US.