Aptoide became the first competing app store available through Google Play in the United States on August 10, 2026, following a court order that required Google to open Android to rival storefronts.
The order stems from Google's legal defeat in a case brought by Epic, according to Ars Technica. A judge's ruling compelled Google to allow competing app stores onto its platform, and Aptoide was the first to appear there under those terms.
TechCrunch reported that Aptoide's games store had been absent from Google Play for over ten years before its return. The reinstatement covers the US market specifically.