List Of Android App Stores - Wikipedia

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The functionality of mobile devices running the Android operating system, the most used mobile operating system globally, can be extended using "apps" – specialized software designed to offer users the means to use their devices for specific additional purposes. Such apps are compiled in the Android-native APK file format which allows easy redistribution of apps to end-users.

Most apps are distributed through Google's Play Store but many alternative software repositories, or app stores, exist. Alternative app stores use Android devices' "Unknown Sources" option to install APK files directly via the Android Package Manager.

Google Play Store

[edit] Main article: Google Play

The Google Play Store (originally the Android Market), operated and developed by Google, serves as the official app store for Android, allowing users to download apps developed with the Android software development kit (SDK) and published through Google. The store offers both free and paid apps. Apps exploiting the hardware capabilities of a device can be targeted to users of devices with specific hardware components, such as a motion sensor (for motion-dependent games) or a front-facing camera (for online video calling). The Google Play store had over 50 billion app downloads in 2013 and has reached over 2.96 million apps published in 2020.

Although bundled with most Android devices, the Play Store is only available on devices that are certified within the "Android Compatibility Program". As a result, manufacturers of so-called "custom ROMs", i.e., modified versions of Android, are not allowed to bundle Google apps, including the Play Store, with their software. Compatibility can be restored by installing the Google apps from another source, such as OpenGApps, or using alternative app stores.

Manufacturer app stores

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In addition to some manufacturers not creating certified compatible versions of Android, some have also chosen to bundle their own app stores—either alongside the Play Store or as a replacement.

Such app stores include:

• Samsung Galaxy Store, which is installed on Samsung mobile devices alongside the Play Store.[1]
• Amazon Appstore, which is installed instead of the Play Store on Amazon's Fire Phone and Kindle Fire. Amazon Appstore for third-party Android devices has been discontinued on August 20, 2025. This is the default way to install Android apps on Windows 11 (Note: Windows Subsystem for Android and the Amazon Appstore are no longer available in the Microsoft Store after March 5, 2025).
• Huawei AppGallery, which is installed on Huawei mobile devices. After the Google Mobile Services ban, AppGallery is the sole app distribution on Huawei's phones. The APK can be downloaded by the Huawei site and installed as a known origin source.
• Xiaomi Mi GetApps
• OPPO App Market
• VIVO App Store
• Honor App Market

Third-party app stores

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App stores that do not rely on pre-installation by the manufacturer are an alternate option for finding Android applications. Apps offered through third-party app stores or websites, created by parties not affiliated with the device or operating system (OS), are also third-party apps.

Notable stores include:

• Accrescent - an OSS software store focused on security.[2]. Still in alpha
• Aptoide
• Cafe Bazaar
• F-Droid - a free software store focused on free software and privacy.
• TapTap
• ZapStore - an OSS software store that uses the Nostr protocol.[3]

This form of the app store is often used by web developers to distribute apps that are not allowed in the Google Play Store; this may be due to an app allowing users wider access to the app system, or offering apps for "niche users" who choose to use only free and open-source software (F-Droid) or prefer to play indie games (Itch.io). Moreover, there are alternative stores that serve to distribute "hacked" versions of paid apps, for no cost.[4]

Proxy app store

[edit]

There are also proxy app stores that act as a client for the Google Play store.

• Aurora Store
• Softpedia

See also

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• List of mobile app distribution platforms

References

[edit]

1. ^ Khan, Danish (2019-03-15). "Samsung steps up software localisation game; inks app store deal with IndusOS". Economic Times.
2. ^ Magee, Logan. "Accrescent Home". Retrieved 2026-01-05.
3. ^ "Zapstore". Retrieved 2026-01-05.
4. ^ Hill, Simon (September 24, 2016). "Tired of Google Play? Check out these alternative Android app stores". Yahoo! Tech. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10. Retrieved 2017-04-09.

v t e Android
Android Go Comparison of products
Softwaredevelopment	Development tools Official Android Runtime (ART) Software development kit (SDK) Android Debug Bridge (ADB) Fastboot Android App Bundle Android application package (APK) Bionic Dalvik Firebase Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) Google Mobile Services (GMS) Jetpack Compose Native development kit (NDK) Open accessory development kit (OADK) RenderScript Skia AdMob Material Design Fonts Droid Roboto Noto Google Developers Other OpenBinder Apache Harmony OpenJDK Gradle GSON Integrated developmentenvironments (IDE) Android Studio IntelliJ IDEA Eclipse Android Development Tools (ADT) MIT App Inventor Languages, databases Java Kotlin XML KML C C++ SQLite Augmented reality and virtual reality Android XR Cardboard Daydream Events, communities Google I/O Developer Challenge Developer Lab Android Open Source Project (AOSP)
Releases	Cupcake (1.5) Donut (1.6) Eclair (2.0–2.1) Froyo (2.2) Gingerbread (2.3) Honeycomb (3.x) Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) Jelly Bean (4.1–4.3) KitKat (4.4) Lollipop (5.x) Marshmallow (6.x) Nougat (7.x) Oreo (8.x) Pie (9) 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Derivatives	Android Automotive Android Things TV devices Android XR Wear OS
Devices	Pixel C Pixel & Pixel XL 2 & 2 XL 3 & 3 XL 3a & 3a XL 4 & 4 XL 4a & 4a (5G) 5 5a 6 & 6 Pro 6a 7 & 7 Pro 7a Fold Tablet 8 & 8 Pro 8a 9, 9 Pro & 9 Pro XL 9 Pro Fold 9a Nexus One S Galaxy Nexus 4 10 Q 5 5X 6 6P 7 2012 2013 9 Player Play edition HTC One (M7) HTC One (M8) LG G Pad 8.3 Moto G Samsung Galaxy S4 Sony Xperia Z Ultra Android One other smartphones
Customdistributions	AliOS Android-x86 Remix OS AOKP Baidu Yi Barnes & Noble Nook CalyxOS ColorOS OxygenOS realme UI CopperheadOS EMUI MagicOS Fire OS Flyme OS GrapheneOS LeWa OS LineageOS /e/ CrDroid CyanogenMod DivestOS iodéOS Kali NetHunter LiteOS Meta Horizon OS MicroG Nokia X software platform OmniROM OPhone PixelExperience Pixel UI Replicant Resurrection Remix OS SlimRoms TCL UI Ubuntu for Android Xiaomi HyperOS MIUI XobotOS ZUI
Booting andrecovery	Booting process Recovery mode TWRP ClockworkMod Fastboot
APIs	Google Maps Google Play Services SafetyNet/Play Integrity API Google Search
Alternative UIs	Cherry OS ColorOS EMUI Funtouch OS Flyme OS HiOS Hive UI (XOLO Hive) HTC Sense LG UX Optimus UI Motoblur Nothing OS One UI Experience TouchWiz Origin OS OxygenOS Pixel UI XOS Xperia UI ZenUI
Rooting	SuperSU Magisk Kingo Root Kernel Assisted Superuser
Lists	Custom distributions Features Free and open-source applications Google apps Launchers
Related topics	Index of articles Androidland Chromecast Google Java vs. Android API Lawn statues BlueStacks Legal issues Google v. Oracle smartphone patent wars Android Runtime for Chrome
Category:Android development Category:Mobile telecommunications Software portal Telecommunication portal

v t e Software digital distribution platforms
App store Cloud gaming Content delivery network Digital library Digital distribution of video games Over-the-air update Package manager Software distribution List of mobile app distribution platforms Android
Active	Personal computers Amazon Digital Game Store Battle.net Big Fish Games Chrome Web Store Direct2Drive Discord DLsite Discover DMM Games EA Epic Games Store Flathub GameHouse GamersGate Gamesplanet Game Jolt GOG.com Humble Store IndieGala itch.io iWin MacGameStore MacUpdate Mac App Store Meta Horizon Store Microsoft Store MSN Games Nutaku Pogo.com Pokki PureOS Software Center Robot Cache Rockstar Games Social Club Snap Store Steam Ubisoft Connect Viveport WeGame WildTangent Consoles Microsoft Store Nintendo eShop PlayStation Store Mobile devices § Amazon Appstore Apple App Store Appland Aptoide Cafe Bazaar Cydia DLsite Epic Games Store F-Droid Galaxy Store GetJar Google Play Huawei AppGallery Meta Horizon Store MiKandi Nutaku OpenStore PureOS Software Center RuStore Tencent Appstore SlideME TapTap Viveport Arcade NESiCAxLive
Defunct	Allmyapps BlackBerry World Club Nokia Desura Digital River Download! GameAgent GameLine GameShadow GameTap Games for Windows Marketplace Handango Impulse Intel AppUp Kartridge Kazaa N-Gage Nokia Store Opera Mobile Store PlayCable Playism PlayNow Arena RealArcade Satellaview Sega Channel Sega Meganet Stardock Central Triton Ubuntu App Store Ubuntu Software Center Vodafone live! Wii Shop Channel Windows Marketplace Windows Marketplace for Mobile Windows Phone Store Xbox Games Store Xbox Live Arcade Yahoo! Games Zune Marketplace
§ Also includes Smart TVs and standalone VR headsets  Category  Portal