US judge orders Google to remove 'friction' from rival Android app store installs
US District Court Judge James Donato ruled that Google’s current implementation of alternative app stores introduces unnecessary anticompetitive barriers, requiring immediate changes to search results and download buttons.
US District Court Judge James Donato has ordered Google to streamline the installation of third-party app stores on Android within one week, ruling that the company’s current implementation introduces unnecessary anticompetitive friction. The order stems from the ongoing antitrust case between Google and Epic Games, where a 2023 court finding established Google’s monopoly on app distribution.
During a recent hearing, Google’s legal team agreed to implement the changes within the one-week deadline. Donato noted that the company should contact the court if it encounters any issues meeting this timeline, emphasising that the current setup failed to provide adequate access for competitors.
The judge took issue with how Google presents third-party app stores in search results. Epic’s lawyers demonstrated that entering the search term "store for apps" yielded no results for app stores, instead showing physical retailers like Walmart. Furthermore, third-party app stores were buried under a dedicated banner rather than appearing in the standard search results list.
"That is not acceptable, that has to be fixed. I want every possible variation that's even only 70 percent properly phrased," Donato said, directing Google to improve its search functionality to ensure proper phrasing and visibility.
Google’s decision to replace the standard "Install" button with a "View" button on the only third-party app store on the Play Store, Aptoide, was also a major point of contention. Donato suggested that making users jump through an extra layer of menus to install the store was discouraging downloads, and ordered the button to be replaced with a direct "Install" option.
Google announced in March 2026 that it would support third-party app stores as part of a settlement with Epic reached in late 2025. This settlement modified a 2024 remedy proposed by Judge Donato, which aimed to loosen Google’s control over the Play Store. Aptoide Games was the first alternative store admitted to the Play Store under these new rules.
It remains unclear which specific search query variations Google will target to ensure the required 70% proper phrasing, and the exact technical implementation details of how Google will alter the search algorithm or user interface have not been disclosed.
