Verification · 6 min · 2026-07-18
Play Catalog Access: third-party stores inside Play (July 22, 2026)
By Sathi, Founder & Editor
Starting July 22, 2026, eligible US third-party Android app stores can access Play catalog listings under court-ordered terms. Downloads still complete through Google Play.
What changes on July 22
Under the Play Catalog Access Program, participating US third-party Android app stores can offer apps from the Google Play catalog. Google’s developer communications state that US app and game listing assets (name, icon, description, screenshots, videos) become available to those stores unless a developer opts out — and that downloads still complete through Google Play on the same commercial terms as a direct Play download.
Who can enroll a store
Google’s enrollment help page requires stores to target US users, meet trust-and-safety criteria (including malware thresholds), pay onboarding and annual fees for security/policy review, and integrate with Play’s install path. This is a US compliance program tied to the Epic litigation outcome — not a global replacement for sideloading rules elsewhere.
What it means for this catalog
APK Download remains a discovery catalog: we summarize Play metadata and link to official Play listings. We do not host APKs. When users see rival storefronts inside Play, they should still verify package names and prefer the official publisher listing. Our install boxes link to Verification Center so readers can follow primary Google sources instead of rumor threads.
Sources
- Enrolling in the Play Catalog Access Program — Google Play Console Help
- Google Will Allow Third-Party App Stores On Android Next Week — Engadget
- Google opens the floodgates to third-party app stores on Android — 9to5Google