After being forced to ease the use of unofficial app stores in the Indian market at the end of January, Google now plans to integrate these new rules globally for Android 14.
The Google Play Store // Source: Frandroid
After Apple, it’s Google’s turn to make alternative app stores easier to access. As reported by the news site XDA Developers, the American giant plans to simplify the use of application stores other than the Play Store in the next version of its Android 14 operating system. Be it the Samsung Galaxy Store, the Amazon Appstore, Huawei’s AppGallery or even F-Droid.
A decision that reflects Apple’s plan to allow app stores other than its own in an upcoming European version of iOS on the iPhone.
Softer updates
While Google had already relaxed the rules regarding these app stores with Android 12, the official Android 14 development platform names three new APIs that are intended to simplify their operation.
Google initially plans to allow third-party app stores to roll out “soft updates.” Specifically, these unofficial stores can verify that a user’s device meets certain criteria before launching an automatic update. “For example, an application store can delay updates when it sees that the user is using the application,” says the page dedicated to this new API on the Android developer platform.
Not a revolution, but a simplification
Another innovation: an alternative app store may be the only one capable of updating an application. If today it is also available on the Play Store, nothing prevents the Google App Store from updating it automatically.
In addition, Android 14 also allows an external app store to obtain user consent before installing a specific update. A useful option when a new version of an app wants to access more user data, as XDA Developers notes.
Although these three features are already accessible to unofficial app stores, these new APIs make them easier to use and require less access to user data. In short, it’s not necessarily a revolution in the use of alternative applications to the Play Store, but it can facilitate their daily use.
Not so benevolent changes
As in the case of Apple, Google isn’t changing its operating system just for goodwill. In October 2022, the Indian Competition Commission accused Google of abusing its dominant position on the Android platform and, in particular, of forcing the company to open up its operating system to external players. Google tried to challenge it, but the Supreme Court dismissed it on Jan. 20.
Enough to convince the Californian giant to review its Android 14 rules globally, although according to XDA Developers these new features shouldn’t see the light of day before the first stable betas starting in June 2023.
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