# US judge orders Google to simplify rival app store installations

2026-08-15T00:44:02+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

US District Judge James Donato has ordered Google to make rival app stores easier to find and install through the Play Store. The company must remove warning and confirmation steps within a week, after Epic Games demonstrated the obstacles in court. Searches for terms such as “store for apps” can return unrelated results, including physical stores. Users may also have to tap “View” before reaching the install option, while searches for Aptoide can lead to an extra banner or confirmation page. Donato called these steps “anticompetitive friction” and directed Google to make alternative app stores as easy to install as Android apps from the Play Store, Times Now and GSMArena report.

## Coverage

- gsmarena.com <https://www.gsmarena.com/judge_forces_google_to_remove_friction_from_thirdparty_app_store_installations-news-74176.php>
- timesnownews.com <https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/google-faces-android-blow-as-judge-orders-easier-installation-of-rival-app-stores-article-155672370>

Tags: Android, Epic Games, Google, James Donato
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-judge-orders-google-to-drop-scare-warnings-on-rival-app-stores/
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Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-judge-orders-google-to-drop-scare-warnings-on-rival-app-stores/#story-in-brief

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