Store operators must pay $10,000 a year before Google reviews their applications. Google plans to begin support on December 1, initially only on devices running Android 17 QPR2.
Google has opened applications for eligible alternative Android app stores outside the US, under terms detailed by Ars Technica on 27 October. Google’s rules also set numerical thresholds for extra security-screening charges and require explicit user consent for every app installation.
Google announced the optional Registered App Stores program on 4 March, saying it would simplify installation while maintaining Android’s safety and security. Operators must pay $10,000 annually before Google reviews their applications. Stores that do not join retain ordinary sideloading—installation from outside Google Play.
Google’s requirements, detailed by The Hacker News on 28 October, impose additional screening and catalog-cleanup fees when either threshold below is exceeded over a 30-day period.
| Measure | Threshold that triggers fees |
|---|---|
| Install attempts involving potentially harmful apps | More than 1% of install attempts |
| Potentially harmful apps in the store’s catalog | More than 2% of the store’s apps |
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The simpler installation process does not permit stores to install apps without permission. Google requires explicit consent for each installation. Currently, users must first enable a third-party store to install apps, then confirm each installation and update. Approved stores are to receive installation permission automatically and run background updates under the user’s update settings.
Large downloads and background installations must display a visible notification. An installation started from another device must produce a notification that does not close automatically. IT administrators can block registered stores from being installed on managed devices. Google has not said whether that control also applies to stores already installed.
Google says the annual fee covers the additional support needed to run the program. Applicants must protect intellectual property, remove illegal content, publish a privacy policy for users and developers, and maintain security measures against malware, or malicious software. Operators must document compliance in English and upload copies of all their apps.
Google also requires verified organizational identities and ongoing malware screening of each store’s full catalog, including new apps and updates. Stores remain responsible for their catalogs; Google will not moderate their content. A store that breaks a requirement, including failing to pay on time, can be removed from the program until it fixes the problem, after notice and an opportunity to comply.
The program follows Google’s loss in an antitrust case brought by game developer Epic Games in 2020. On 11 December 2023, a jury in a trial overseen by US District Judge James Donato found that Google had engaged in anticompetitive practices involving Google Play and its billing system. Google lost its appeal in 2025.
Google and Epic proposed registration as a replacement for the court’s requirement to distribute rival stores through Google Play. In its 4 March announcement, Google said it had resolved its disputes with Epic and made US expansion conditional on court approval. The companies later withdrew their settlement after the court signaled it would not approve it.
The registration program excludes the US. Rival stores there instead reach users through Google Play under the court order, with that distribution program in effect since 22 July. As of 27 October, Aptoide was the only alternative store listed.
Google plans support in dozens of countries, covering much of the world outside the US and Europe. Eligibility follows a user’s home country; short trips to unsupported countries will not disable one-tap installations or automatic updates.
Device updates remain another limit. Ars Technica said Google does not sell Pixel phones in most intended markets, where other devices tend to receive updates more slowly. It warned that many devices in supported countries may never receive a compatible update.
Google schedules the approved-store features for 1 December 2026, only on devices running Android 17 QPR2 or later in supported countries. QPR2 is a quarterly platform update to Android 17. Its latest version, released on 16 October, remains a beta test version, and Google’s release notes give no final-release date. Access therefore depends on both store approval and a compatible device update.
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