--- title: "US court orders Google to simplify installation of third-party app stores on Android" description: "🚨 US court orders Google to simplify installation of third-party app stores on Android. Judge James Donato found that the company created artificial barriers and ordered them removed within a week. This is a continuation of the antitrust dispute with Epic Games, started in 2023. #Google #Android #EpicGames #AntitrustLaw" date: 2026-08-15T21:04:09.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-court-orders-google-to-simplify-installation-of-third-party-app-stores-on-android tags: [google, android, epic-games, antitrust, app-store] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # US court orders Google to simplify installation of third-party app stores on Android ![Google Play Store logo on a white cube, symbolizing the US court ruling to simplify installation of third-party app stores on Android](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/sud-obiazal-google-ubrat-prepyatstviya-dlya-ustanovki-konkuriruyushchih-magazinov-prilogeniy-na-android/sud-obiazal-google-ubrat-prepyatstviya-dlya-ustanovki-konkuriruyushchih-magazinov-prilogeniy-na-android-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Judge James Donato ordered Google to remove barriers to installing third-party app stores on Android. - Google was found to be a monopolist in the Android app market in 2023. - The court ordered the simplification of searching for and installing alternative stores, removing unnecessary steps and banners. - The deadline for compliance is one week. On August 16, 2026, a significant milestone was reached in the long-standing antitrust dispute between Google and Epic Games within the tech industry. Judge James Donato of the federal court in San Francisco issued a new ruling, ordering Google to eliminate artificial barriers that hinder users from installing alternative app stores on Android-powered devices. This ruling continues a process that began nearly three years ago, when a jury found Google to be a monopolist in the mobile app distribution market. ### History of the conflict: from jury verdict to court orders The conflict between the tech giant and game developer Epic Games reached its peak in 2023, when a jury unanimously delivered a verdict on Google's illegal monopoly in the Android app market. In response, Judge Donato determined the remediation strategy in 2024: Google was obligated not only to allow the installation of third-party stores but also to ensure their visibility and accessibility for users. Specifically, the company was required to place clients of alternative stores directly within the Google Play interface and provide competitors with access to its own app catalog for several years. ### New barriers and court reaction Despite formal compliance with requirements, Epic Games drew the court's attention to the fact that Google had created complex and confusing procedures for installing third-party stores. For example, searching for the phrase "app store" in Google Play yielded only standard apps, not alternative stores. Judge Donato recognized this as an "anti-competitive barrier" and ordered Google to change search algorithms so that all possible options appear in the results, even if the query is not formulated perfectly β€” a 70% match is sufficient. ### Eliminating unnecessary steps and banners Another important aspect of the ruling was the requirement to remove unnecessary steps in the installation process. Previously, users encountered a situation where searching for an alternative store offered only a "View" button, not direct installation. Judge Donato called this an inconvenience and ordered Google to ensure direct installation from the first screen. Additionally, the court abolished the requirement to show a clarifying banner "Are you looking for alternative stores?" which redirected users to a separate page without other apps. In the judge's opinion, such a screen provides no benefit and only complicates the user experience. ### Deadlines and consequences Judge Donato set a strict deadline for compliance β€” one week. He emphasized that any technical or organizational issues must be immediately reported to the court. This ruling could set a precedent for future antitrust proceedings in the technology sector, especially regarding major platforms controlling mobile app ecosystems. ### Contradictory data While Judge Donato clearly indicated the need to simplify the process of installing third-party stores, Google representatives expressed agreement with the court's decisions during the hearing, though they did not comment on possible technical difficulties. At the same time, market analysts note that completely eliminating all barriers may take longer than one week, especially considering the need to overhaul search algorithms and the Google Play interface. Thus, there is a gap between Google's formal agreement and the actual timelines for implementing the orders. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Court orders Google to remove barriers to installing competing app stores on Android](https://3dnews.ru/1146837/sud-obyazalgoogle-ubrat-prepyatstviya-dlya-ustanovki-konkuriruyushchih-magazinov-prilogeniy-na-android) - Основной источник ΠΈΠ½Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠΎ судСбном Ρ€Π΅ΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΈ дСталях прСдписаний. - [First third-party store appears in Google Play](https://megaobzor.com/V-Google-Play-pojavilsja-pervii-storonnii-magazin.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΎ ΠΏΠΎ источнику megaobzor.com - [First third-party app store appears in Google Play](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6a7afefc9a79474b60c76982) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΎ ΠΏΠΎ источнику rbc.ru - [Google stock drops 2.5% after US court ruling on demutualization of its app store](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20241008-%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-google-%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-2-5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B0-%D0%BE-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ экономичСскиС послСдствия Ρ€Π΅ΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ суда для Google. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What did the court order Google to do? **A:** The court ordered Google to eliminate artificial barriers to installing third-party app stores on Android, including simplifying search and direct installation. ### Q: When was the ruling issued? **A:** The ruling was issued on August 16, 2026, by Judge James Donato in San Francisco. ### Q: What is the deadline for compliance? **A:** The deadline for compliance is one week.