Third-party app stores can now be installed directly from Google Play

Google has started distributing third-party app stores directly through Google Play, 9to5Google reports.

Third-party stores will not appear alongside regular apps throughout the Google Play catalog. Instead, users can find them through a dedicated page, direct links, the account menu, the apps section or search, including queries such as “App Store” or the name of a specific store.

• The option is currently available only in the US, with gaming marketplace Aptoide Games becoming the first third-party store offered through Google Play.
• Installation works much like downloading a regular Android app. Once installed, the third-party store can be used to download other apps and games.
• When installing an app downloaded through a third-party store, users only need to confirm the installation through Android’s standard system prompt.

Google says third-party stores distributed through Google Play must comply with the platform’s policies. However, the company does not review every app offered inside those stores and does not manage their updates or payments.

The change follows a lengthy legal battle over Google Play’s policies.

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Last year, Google also announced plans to verify the identities of Android app developers, including those distributing their software outside Google Play.