Google opens Registered App Stores program for third-party Android stores outside the US
Accepted stores will get one-tap installs and silent background updates, with rollout to some devices set for later this year.
Google has opened applications for its Registered App Stores program, which lets third-party app stores outside the United States gain preferred treatment on Android. Stores accepted into the program will let users install apps with a single tap and will be permitted to update apps silently in the background, as Google Play does. The rollout to some Android devices is set for later this year. The program exists as a voluntary alternative for markets where the court-ordered allowance for stores inside Google Play does not apply, following Google's loss in the Epic Games antitrust case.
Why it matters
The program gives users outside the United States a route to third-party app stores that get treatment close to Google Play's, which matters because Google's loss in the Epic Games antitrust case did not extend this allowance to the US. For Android users in other markets, installing apps from a store other than Google Play could become smoother, while US users remain outside the scheme for now.
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