‘That is not acceptable’: Judge orders Google to make rival app store installs easier

August 13, 2026 Sean Hollister

Photo illustration of Sundar Pichai and Tim Sweeney with the Google logo, Google Play logo, and the Epic Games logo.

One month after Epic Games and Google seemingly stopped fighting over the future of Android app distribution, they were back in a San Francisco courtroom today - where Judge James Donato just ordered Google to make it easier to install rival app stores on Android.

It's been nearly three years since a jury unanimously decided that Google had an illegal monopoly over Android apps, and almost two years since Judge Donato decided the best way of undoing that monopoly would be to crack open Android app distribution. Donato ordered Google to carry rival Android app stores inside its own Google Play Store, and to provide rivals with complete acce …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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