Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Yesterday, Google and Epic finally reached an agreement to settle their years-long legal dispute. If approved by the judge overseeing the case, the settlement would resolve the lawsuit Epic filed in 2020 to challenge Google’s stranglehold on Android app distribution. As part of the agreement, Google plans to make sweeping changes to Android, which will be implemented in a future version of next year’s Android 17 release. The company is developing a new system that will allow users to easily install third-party app stores, reducing the friction of getting apps from outside of Google Play.
This timing is notable, as next year is also when Android’s new developer verification requirements will go into effect. Beginning in September 2026, Android will block users from installing apps made by unverified developers. Although Google says that sideloading isn’t going anywhere, some critics are concerned this change will kill alternative app stores like F-Droid. That’s why Google’s agreement with Epic has sparked hope that Android’s sideloading restrictions will be eased or eliminated entirely next year.
If you were hoping for that, then I’m sorry to disappoint you, because Google’s proposed changes to Android won’t save sideloading as we know it. They will, however, make the Android app ecosystem more competitive, benefitting users by reducing prices and improving app availability. Here’s how.
Placing third-party app stores on equal footing with the Google Play Store The biggest change coming to the Android OS is support for “Registered App Stores.” A “Registered App Store” is a third-party app store that Google has certified. The certification process hasn’t been defined yet, but the settlement terms state that Google may create “reasonable requirements” for certification, such as a review of the app store and the payment of a “reasonable” fee that covers operational costs. This fee may not be “revenue proportionate,” meaning it cannot be based on how much revenue the app store generates.
Once an app store is certified, users can install it with a single click from its website. This will initiate a “single store install screen” that uses “neutral language” rather than the current warnings that Epic argues deter users from proceeding.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority A photo showing one of the many current dialogs that users have to click through to install the Epic Games Store on Android.
Importantly, this install screen will also “grant the permission to the store to install apps.” It’s unclear whether this refers to the INSTALL_PACKAGES permission, which allows stores to install apps without user intervention, or REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES , which requires the user’s consent for each installation. Currently, only preinstalled app stores like the Google Play Store can have the more powerful INSTALL_PACKAGES permission. Third-party app stores have to request the latter, which adds extra steps for the user.
For years, Epic has argued that Android makes it onerous and scary to install and use third-party app stores. Compared to the seamless experience within the Google Play Store, installing an app from an alternative source involves far more friction. Users must navigate a multi-step process filled with prompts that use discouraging language. Google has long argued this flow is necessary to protect users, and while there’s certainly truth to that, it also weakens any third-party attempt at dethroning the Play Store.
A screenshot gallery showing some of the key steps that need to be taken currently to install the Epic Games Store and then install a game from the store.
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