Google Relents, Adds Third-Party App Store Aptoide to Google Player

A court ruling has forced Google to allow users in the US to buy and install apps and games from third-party stores.

The company has added Aptoide, a gaming-focused store with an existing following among Android gamers who are comfortable with side-loading apps, to its own Google Player store.

Aptoide is currently only available in the US and can be found within a dedicated section of Google Play for third-party stores.

The move comes after a long battle between Epic and Google that resulted in Google being forced to make it easier to use third-party stores, giving users greater choice.