Aptoide has returned to Google Play in the United States after more than a decade, becoming the first rival Android app store to take advantage of new rules allowing competing marketplaces to be distributed through Google’s store. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld the relevant remedies aimed at restoring competition in Android app distribution. Google has since introduced its Play Catalog Access Program, which allows qualifying third-party US Android app stores to access Google Play’s catalog and offer those apps through their own storefronts. Android App Distribution Becomes More OpenGoogle Play remains the main Android app marketplace in the US, but the new rules lower one of the barriers facing competing stores. The Play Catalog Access Program also gives participating stores access to app listings already available through Google Play.