Tech writers consistently suck. We've had 3rd party app stores for a long time. Googles trying to make them worse, not welcoming them
this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2026
50 points (75.0% liked)
Technology
82490 readers
5527 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
3rd party app stores were installable through Google Play for a long time? You sure?
If they are only installable via Google doesn't that make them 2nd party?
Google is first party. The user is second party. Everyone else is third party.
You are this kind of guy that looks for second person shooters, aren't you?
It's a gap in the market!!!
idk, do you add, for 4th party? Double to 6th party?
Ooh, or square?
9̶͔̅t̷̲͒h̶̼͌ ̷͔̑Ṗ̶̻A̷͙͘R̶̬̔T̴̂ͅY̸̦̓
Not really, no. Google is just the vendor for the app, not the developer. Most apps are 3rd party apps
They have existed but they're now available in the Google Play Store.
Because they were forced by the EU. It's still a US company.
No they were forced by Epic.
That's true for billing and fees, but not for 3rd party app stores.
The app stores inside Google Play would be 2nd party app stores.
but not for 3rd party app stores.
Yes it is.
The app stores inside Google Play would be 2nd party app stores.
It's only 2nd party if there's some sort of transaction involved, which there isn't AFAIK.
Lowers, not ends.
