Aptoide’s App Store Returns to Google Play After a Decade Locked Out

Aptoide has brought its games store back onto Google Play in the United States, a decade after it was effectively shut out of the platform. The return follows court-ordered changes designed to force more competition into the Android app ecosystem.

For years, Google kept tight control over which apps could appear on its own storefront, with Google Play acting as the default — and often only — source most Android users turned to. Regulatory pressure and the rise of alternative app stores have pushed the company toward a more open stance.

Aptoide’s catalog includes a number of Android games not available on Google Play itself, so its return gives the company a shot at new users browsing the official store. It also raises an obvious question: which rival app store follows next.

Source: techcrunch.com