I really hope this also sinks Google's plan to lock down Android in the name of "security" (actually they just want Apple's walled garden).
this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2026
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It does not sink that.
Google can still technologically allow alternate app stores. They are going to regulate all apps, regardless of how you install them.
It is a good scam. I would try it if I were an evil monopolist. Unless judges step in, it will work, too... We shall see.
From my own personal experience, I tried to download Aptoide and it downloaded a completely different app. It said it was Aptoide and then it was a weird sponsored product that showed up. Then when I searched again for Aptoide, it said that it wasn't available to download.
Maybe it was a fake/scam app presented as Aptoide?
It was from their search engine and listed as Altoide. It had to be google misrepresenting it or they have a really fucking serious problem that just happens to be the only time it ever happened, and an app they hate.
listed as Altoide
Then that's obviously a scam.
I just checked myself, searching for "aptoide" results in a notification before the actual results that directs to the "third-party app store page" where I can download Aptoide Games (idk if that one's legit either, admittedly, but clearly they're developing a special system for this).
just happens to be the only time it ever happened
Play Store has been known for many years to host scam apps, copyright-infringing knockoffs, etc. Supposedly they have reined it in a bit recently, but it's extremely far from "the only time it ever happened".
This is great, but at the same time I would hate it if my product owner came to me with something due in 1 week lol. Sprints are usually supposed to be 2 weeks long.
Google should have been expecting this possibility for a long, long time.
Also Google can make this kind of change in a week easy.
That's the PM's problem
Aptoide Games
I just decided that rule #1 of naming a company should be that you can look at the name and immediately know how to pronounce it. “Aptoide” fails this test.
When I search for "App Store" and click through Google's bullshit, Aptoide is still the only thing that comes up. Where are all the others, like F-Droid and Obtanium and whatnot?
(Also I'm salty that the term "app store" is winning even to describe Free Software repositories that don't stoop to being "stores," but never mind that.)
A store is where you keep something, like how a squirrel will store nuts for the winter.
yeah but we use repository for that purpose now since store has been coopted
Thats enough time to call Daddy Trumpf and fet this fixed in their favor