Judge Demands Google Simplify Rival App Store Installations
By Editor • August 13, 2026 • 1 min read
In a decisive courtroom session, Judge James Donato took a firm stance against Google's practices regarding rival app stores on Android. The hearing unfolded in San Francisco, a month after Epic Games and Google seemed to reach a temporary truce in their ongoing legal battles.
Nearly three years post a jury's unanimous ruling declaring Google’s monopoly over Android apps illegal, Judge Donato reiterated his commitment to dismantling this monopoly. He had previously mandated that Google allow rival app stores to integrate within its Google Play Store, ensuring competitors had access to Google's extensive app catalog.
Epic Games presented compelling evidence that Google continues to impose unnecessary barriers for installing third-party app stores. Demonstrating the cumbersome process, Epic's attorney Yonatan Even highlighted how a search for “store for apps” in the Play Store yielded irrelevant results, such as physical retail stores. Judge Donato expressed his discontent, stating, “That is not acceptable, that has to be fixed.”
Furthermore, the judge criticized the requirement for users to click a “view” button before proceeding to an “install” button for third-party app stores. He ordered Google to streamline this process, declaring, “Make that install, not view.”
Judge Donato also noted flaws in how the Play Store handles searches for app stores, insisting that Google remove unnecessary prompts that confuse users. He demanded swift action from Google, setting a deadline of one week for these changes to be implemented.
Source: www.theverge.com
