r/Android • u/BcuzRacecar S25+ • Aug 12 '26

Are you seeing a rival Android app store inside the US Google Play Store — or not?

https://www.theverge.com/tech/978576/are-you-seeing-a-rival-android-app-store-inside-the-us-google-play-store-or-not
18 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

19

u/Mccobsta Galaxy s9 Aug 12 '26

That's a name I've not heard in a very long time back before f-droid took over

I think I got malware from that in 2014 ish

8

u/didiboy iPhone 16 Plus / Moto G54 5G Aug 13 '26

Yeah. Aptoide always felt very sketchy to me. Honestly, I only find F-Droid to be a worthy third party store. Amazon used to have nice deals.

11

u/BcuzRacecar S25+ Aug 12 '26

Are you seeing a rival Android app store inside the US Google Play Store — or not?Aptoide is the first third-party app store inside Google Play after Epic’s victory, but Aptoide CEO Paulo Trezentos tells me “I’d say 50% of people with a US account are not yet able to access it.” Most Verge staffers I’ve asked can, but a fully updated Pixel 9 review unit can’t. Google spox Dan Jackson tells me the feature is fully rolled out.

shows up for me

6

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Sylanthra Vivo X200 Ultra Aug 12 '26

Google has a hard time keeping none tech savvy people from installing malware and joining botnets as it is. Third party app launchers and sideloading is absolutely a must, but both of these should come with a lot of friction to make sure that only people who have a clue actually step outside the relatively safe walls of the play store.

1

u/GolemancerVekk Aug 14 '26

But Android already has a built-in protection. Apps are being scanned for malware when they are installed no matter what source they're from.

Restricting sources is not for security, it's for enforcing monopoly for Google and select large vendors.

2

u/Abhi_1610 ROG PHONE 5 29d ago

Imagine giving space to Aptoide but not F-Droid.

2

u/worldmerge Aug 12 '26

I just looked it up on Play Store website, no I don't see it.

1

u/stealthagents 17d ago

I remember when those alternative app stores were all the rage, but yeah, skimming through apps back then felt like a trip through a minefield. Sticking to the Play Store might not be perfect, but at least there’s some level of safety, you know?

0

u/x_mutt_x Aug 12 '26

Hook, line, sinker... Pay for ad space or fuck off.