Google and Epic Games have jointly withdrawn their proposed settlement of the long-running antitrust battle over Android app distribution, paving the way for third-party app stores to appear inside Google Play starting July 22.
With the settlement withdrawn, Google is now bound by the full scope of Judge James Donato’s October 2024 injunction, which requires the company to allow rival app marketplaces on its platform. The court’s remedies had been on hold while the two sides negotiated a settlement that would have granted Google more control over implementation details. Those negotiations have now collapsed, and the original court order takes full effect.
Under the injunction, Google must allow third-party app stores, including Epic’s own games store, to be distributed through Google Play. Developers will also be permitted to use alternative payment systems, communicate lower prices available outside the Play Store directly within their apps, and set their own pricing without Google’s commission structure.
Google had previously warned that these changes would “significantly harm user safety, limit choice, and undermine innovation,” but the company has now confirmed it will comply with next week’s deadline.
The withdrawal marks the latest chapter in Epic v. Google, which began in 2020 when Epic intentionally violated Google Play’s payment policies to trigger a legal challenge. A jury found Google guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly in just four hours of deliberation.
Sources: Third-party app stores coming to Google Play next week (Ars Technica, July 15, 2026); Google and Epic give up fighting (The Verge, July 15, 2026)