Court Orders Google to Simplify Third-Party App Store Access

In a significant ruling, US District Judge James Donato has mandated that Google eliminate its cautionary warnings when users attempt to install third-party app stores from the Play Store.

This decision follows a court settlement with Epic Games and targets what the court deems "anticompetitive friction" designed to deter users from exploring alternative app stores. Google is required to streamline the installation process, making it as straightforward as downloading any app from its store.

Epic Games highlighted that searching for "store for apps" yields no relevant results, only links to physical retailers. Furthermore, users must navigate through an unnecessary 'View' step before installation, which the court has ruled must be removed. Additionally, when searching for Aptoide, the first third-party app store on Play Store, users encounter a banner instead of a direct link, which also needs to be addressed.

Source: www.gsmarena.com