Aptoide returns to Google Play after more than a decade

• The games marketplace has been approved through Google's Play Catalogue Access programme.
• Aptoide has approximately 25m monthly active users worldwide.
• The company claims to offer more than 400,000 Android applications.

Aptoide Games has returned to Google Play in the US after more than a decade through Google's new Play Catalogue Access programme.

The move means Android users in the US can discover and install an independent games marketplace directly through Google Play. Aptoide said the development lowers a longstanding barrier for competition between Android app stores.

Founded in 2009, Aptoide has around 25 million monthly active users and offers access to more than 400,000 Android applications. The US is its largest market.

Back on Google Play

Aptoide previously distributed its app store through Google Play during Android's early years, before policies preventing competing app stores from being distributed through the platform resulted in its removal.

The company's return follows changes to the Android ecosystem, including regulatory scrutiny and the Epic Games vs Google litigation, as well as Google's introduction of Play Catalogue Access. 

The programme allows qualifying third-party app stores to integrate with Google Play infrastructure while remaining independent marketplaces.

“This is much more than a product launch,” said Aptoide CEO and co-founder Paulo Trezentos.

“More than ten years ago, Android users lost the ability to discover alternative app stores through Google Play. Today, that changes. Users gain more choice, developers gain additional distribution opportunities, and Android becomes a more open and competitive ecosystem.”