Android is getting third-party app stores, and you should cancel your app subscriptions right now

Epic Games made headlines in August 2020 after bypassing Google’s billing system in Fortnite, basically daring Google to take the game down from the Play Store.

What followed was a full-blown legal battle that eventually led to a December 2023 jury verdict declaring Google an illegal monopoly.

Google appealed and tried to hold its ground, but eventually conceded and agreed to a global settlement with Epic Games.

After all that back and forth, the Play Store gates are finally opening. But what does this actually mean for your wallet and your phone?

Google is lowering its Play Store cut

Every app, skin, or subscription you bought over the last twenty years came with a 30% cut for Google. This was the fee of being on the world’s most popular platforms.

Now, Google is officially dropping its baseline commission to 20% for most in-app purchases. For some subscriptions and programs, that number drops to as low as 10%.

Google is also loosening control over payments, letting developers skip its billing system. If they use it, there’s a 5% surcharge in the US, UK, and Europe. If they don’t, they keep that cut.

Third-party app stores are coming to Android properly

Credit: Jason Brea / Epic Games

If you’ve ever gone the sideloading route on Android, you know it’s not exactly a smooth experience.

I’ve always described the process as an obstacle course. You have to jump through settings, deal with security pop-ups, and take care of updates manually.

Epic Games argued in court that Google engineered this to terrify consumers away from rival storefronts.

The Registered App Stores program is the fix for this, launching natively in Android 17 later this year, and opens the door for third-party stores on your device.

If a rival store like Epic Games, Microsoft, or Amazon Store passes Google’s baseline safety benchmarks, it earns registered status. It can manage updates and installations just like the Play Store does.

Cheaper apps might be coming, but don’t count on them yet

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

So if Google takes a smaller cut and more competitors enter the space, will you actually pay less? Maybe.

Soon, developers can skip the go-between and add direct payment links within their apps.

You may see buttons everywhere that say, “Hey, this subscription is cheaper if you buy it directly on our website.”

You’ll also be able to shop in other stores. If a rival platform has a better deal, you can buy and manage your games there without facing your phone’s security warnings.

However, not everyone will pass those savings on. Lower fees give indie developers a chance to cut prices and build a user base because they’re desperate for users.

But large companies have already been raising prices, independent of anything Google does. Will Netflix drop your bill by $2 because Google took a smaller cut? Probably not.

They’ll likely pocket the extra margin to fund the next season of whatever show you’re binging.

More freedom on Android comes with more risk

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

More freedom demands more responsibility. When you buy through Google Play, you’re using a billion-dollar security infrastructure.

But when you buy from a third-party store or directly from a developer, you’re trusting them with your credit card.

If you’re going to hunt for the cheapest across different stores, I recommend using one-time virtual credit cards or services like PayPal to keep a layer of insulation between your bank account and these new storefronts.

Google is also introducing a mandatory Developer Verification program to help here.

By late 2026, Google will require all sideloaded apps on certified devices to originate from verified developer IDs.

If a bad actor spreads malware, Google can shut down their identity so they can’t just come back under a new name the next day.

Here’s when these Play Store changes reach your phone

Don’t expect to wake up and see everything changed at once. Google is phasing things in, with the rollout expected to continue through to late 2027. The US, UK, and Europe are first in line for this.

We might soon get free games on the Epic Store for Android, just like on PC, and I’m all for it.

What to do with your subscriptions as Android changes

So, with all these changes coming, should you immediately nuke your auto-renewing subscriptions and wait for a cheaper link to appear? Not quite yet.

Audit your subscriptions and check their renewal dates. If you have an annual subscription that isn’t set to renew until late 2026 or 2027, you can safely leave it alone for now.

By the time your subscription renews, any developer planning to offer cheaper direct payments will likely have them in place.

However, if your subscription is set to expire in the next few months, it’s worth paying closer attention. Watch for in-app prompts or emails offering discounts if you switch your billing method.

A company saving 15% on Google’s baseline fees might pass 10% of that back to you to secure your loyalty outside the Play Store’s billing ecosystem.