Judge orders Google to open Android to other stores in Epic lawsuit ruling

Judge James Donato has issued an injunction in the case of Epic v. Google, ordering that the Android developer has to open the operating system to third-party app stores, distributing them and allowing them access to the Play Store’s library of apps. Starting this November and for a period of three years, Google has to allow third-party stores the option to offer Play Store apps to their customers, as well as permit developers access to payment options other than its own.

The injunction says that Google cannot incentivize developers prioritizing the Play Store, or encourage them to deprioritize other app stores. However, they do have to offer developers a means of opting out of third-party app catalogs if they so choose. Epic and Google will collaborate to appoint a three-person committee to handle any disputes between the two entities. According to Judge Donato, Google has eight months from now to comply with these requirements. The ruling is also confined to the United States of America.

Judge Donato said in a separate order that the three-year time period is to help other developers and stores behind the barriers: “This is because the provisions are designed to level the playing field for the entry and growth of rivals, without burdening Google excessively… As competition comes into play and the network effects that Google Play unfairly enjoys are abated, Google should not be unduly constrained as a competitor. Some of the prohibited conduct might be legitimate when done by a company without monopoly power.”

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said in a post on X: “The Epic Games Store and other app stores are coming to the Google Play Store in 2025 in the USA — without Google’s scare screens and Google’s 30% app tax — thanks to victory in Epic v Google.” Epic also recently filed a different lawsuit against both Google and Samsung, alleging that the two conspired to make the process of downloading the Epic Games Store onto a Samsung device onerous and prohibitively difficult.

Google has since issued a statement saying it is appealing the verdict: “Ultimately, while these changes presumably satisfy Epic, they will cause a range of unintended consequences that will harm American consumers, developers and device makers… We are appealing that underlying decision and we will ask the courts to pause Epic’s requested changes, pending that appeal.”