Tried Android's First Alternative App Store So You Don't Have To: It's a Bit of a Mess

Well, well, well. The inevitable has finally happened: thanks to an antitrust case Epic Games actually won, Google has been forced to open the Play Store to certified third-party app stores. The first brave soul through the door is Aptoide, a decentralized Android app marketplace that's been lurking around for nearly 20 years. And it's... a bit of a mess, honestly.

Let's get the logistics out of the way. The new market is supposed to launch internationally, but for now, it's only available from the Google Play Store in the US - because that's the bare minimum Google can do to comply with the court order. Outside the US, you're back to side-loading like it's 2010.

Now, what exactly is Aptoide, and should you trust it? I decided to give this third-party market another whirl (I tried it years ago) to see if it's improved or if it's still the Wild West. Spoiler: it's still a bit Wild West.

Here's where it gets confusing. Google seems to have side-stepped the ruling by allowing a third-party app store on the Play Store, but what it's allowed can't even remotely compete with the Play Store. Open the Aptoide Games app and head to Categories - you'll find exactly two categories. The Aptoide app has more categories, but they're all games. If you side-load the official site, you'll notice there's no 'Apps' section at all. The only way to find non-game apps is to use the Search tool. So, in both cases, you're limited.

Meanwhile, the Aptoide website has an Apps section with all sorts of non-game apps. It even feels a bit like the Google Play Store. The app? Not so much. You can search for non-gaming apps in the app version, and they'll show up if they're available. But the Trending section? It's all VPNs and phone cleaners. I saw Android Developer Verifier, Ping VPN, bale by BTN, Phone Cleaner for Android, Pipl VPN - see the trend? More on that later.

Both Aptoide and Aptoide Games are as easy to use as the Play Store. The difference is that Aptoide Games is very limited in what you can install. Both apps have an update section, and apps installed via the Play Store can be updated in Aptoide, but not in Aptoide Games.

Now, about safety. It depends on what you install, but that's also true on the Play Store. Aptoide used to have a feature where scanned apps got a green checkmark indicating they were safe. That's no longer the case - at least on the app. On the website, you'll find small 'trusted' badges for apps that have been scanned and found clean.

Here's another oddity. If you search for Aptoide on the Google Play Store, you'll be directed to the third-party app stores page, where you can install Aptoide Games (which is quite different from the Aptoide app). But if you go to the Aptoide website, you can download the APK for the official Aptoide app and side-load it. Search for a non-game app on Aptoide Games, and nothing comes up. Clearly, Google doesn't want users downloading the full Aptoide app because it would directly compete with the Play Store. So, the only version you get from the Play Store lets you install games, and there aren't many games listed. Even games in Aptoide Games don't have the trusted badge.

As with any third-party mobile app, you've got to do your homework. Because Aptoide is decentralized, anyone can upload an app, which means there will likely be malicious code. So here's my advice: verify the developer. For example, if you're installing Spotify, make sure it's from Spotify Ltd. If it's from someone else, don't install it.

I did a search for AIO Launcher, one of my favorites. On the Play Store, it's listed as developed by AIO Mobile Soft. On Aptoide, it's listed as Evgeny Zobnin. I checked the AIO Mobile Soft site, and there's the email zobnin@gmail.com. A quick search links AIO Mobile Soft and Evgeny Zobnin together (thanks, Android Police). So, if I trust AIO Mobile Soft on the Play Store, I can trust Evgeny Zobnin on Aptoide.

But that's the kind of homework you need to do. For Aptoide, adopt a 'don't trust first' attitude and do your digging. If you find the app is truly trustworthy, go ahead and install it. This is critically important because your phone transmits sensitive data - bank details, passwords, social security numbers - and a malicious app could send that to a bad actor.

Hopefully, this will all smooth out and become less confusing over the coming months. I'd like to see two things happen before I regularly use Aptoide: Google should allow the official Aptoide app on the Play Store, and Aptoide should port the trusted badges from the site to the app. Until then, I'm taking a cautious approach. But I'm hopeful this is a first step in a complicated process that could ultimately be a win for developers and users worldwide.

Again, if you install either Aptoide Games or the Aptoide app, use them with caution. Or, you know, just stick to the Play Store and avoid the headache.