Federal Judge Gives Google One Week to Remove Barriers to Third-Party App Stores on Play Store

A federal judge has instructed Google to modify how third-party app marketplaces are displayed and installed within the Google Play Store, giving the technology company seven days to eliminate what he characterized as unreasonable download obstacles.

As reported by Engadget, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato expressed sharp disapproval of Google's initial implementation of alternative app stores, stating that the company had embedded "anticompetitive friction" into the user flow. The directive comes shortly after Google began allowing competing digital storefronts onto its primary Android marketplace earlier in the week.

During courtroom proceedings, legal representatives for Epic Games demonstrated how the current search mechanism hampers users seeking competing software stores. A search query for "store for apps" failed to generate any digital storefront listings, returning results exclusively for brick-and-mortar retailers such as Walmart.

Even when alternative marketplaces could be identified within the platform, they were excluded from standard search listings and instead hidden beneath a dedicated banner for third-party app stores. Donato rejected this format, ordering Google to fix search recognition for any query phrasing that remotely indicates intent, stating, "That is not acceptable, that has to be fixed. I want every possible variation that's even only 70 percent properly phrased."

The court also highlighted issues with the installation interface for Aptoide, which is presently the sole third-party app store available on the platform. Rather than offering the standard "Install" button, Google displayed a "View" option, requiring users to navigate an additional layer of menus before completing a download.

Donato noted that forcing consumers through extra operational steps serves as a deterrent to downloading competing software outlets. Following the judge's criticisms, representatives for Google committed to making the necessary adjustments to the Play Store within the one-week deadline.

The requirement to accommodate alternative marketplaces stems from a late 2025 legal settlement between Epic Games and Google. In March 2026, Google publicly detailed plans to begin integrating third-party marketplaces onto the Play Store as part of its compliance obligations under that agreement.

The settlement adjusted an earlier court-ordered remedy issued by Donato in 2024 following a landmark 2023 court verdict. In that ruling, the court determined that Google maintained an unlawful monopoly over Android app distribution and payment processing, mandating structural changes to lower barriers for competing software distributors.