Aptoide returns to Google Play in US after more than a decade
Key takeaways
- Aptoide approved via Google’s Play Catalogue Access programme
- Aptoide reports ~25 million monthly active users worldwide
- Aptoide offers access to more than 400,000 Android applications
- The US is Aptoide’s largest market
Aptoide has returned to Google Play in the US after more than a decade, now available through Google’s Play Catalogue Access programme. The company says the move lets Android users in the US discover and install its independent games marketplace directly from Google Play. Paulo Trezentos, Aptoide’s CEO and co-founder, described the launch as restoring the ability to find alternative app stores through Google Play.
Founded in 2009, Aptoide reports roughly 25 million monthly active users worldwide and catalogues more than 400,000 Android applications. The company names the US as its largest market. Aptoide previously distributed through Google Play during Android’s early years but was removed after policy changes that barred competing app stores from being listed on the platform.
Aptoide’s return follows shifts in the Android ecosystem, including regulatory scrutiny and the Epic Games v Google litigation, alongside Google’s introduction of Play Catalogue Access. That programme permits qualifying third-party app stores to integrate with Google Play infrastructure while remaining independent marketplaces, a setup Aptoide is now using to relist its store.
Why it matters
Takeaway: US Android users can once again discover and install an independent games marketplace via Google Play, and developers get an additional distribution channel backed by Aptoide’s 25 million monthly active users and its catalogue of over 400,000 apps.
Original source
PocketGamer.biz
