Google to Allow One-Tap Android App Installs From Approved Third-Party Stores Outside U.S.

What happened

Today, a user installing apps from a third-party store must first enable the store to install apps, then confirm each install and each update. Google announced the program in March , alongside changes it said resolved its disputes with Epic Games. Google is a software and Internet company based in Mountain View, and its products and services include Software tools.

If an install is started on another device, the store must show a notification that does not close automatically. Third-party Android app stores can now apply to Google for permission to install apps with one tap, without Android's usual confirmation screens, and to update them in the background.

To qualify, a store must pass identity checks and send Google its full catalog, along with every new app and update, for ongoing malware (software written to damage a system or steal from it) scanning.  Swati Khandelwal  Oct 28, 2026 Mobile Security / App Security Third-party Android app stores can now apply to Google for permission to install apps with one tap, without Android's usual confirmation screens, and to update them in the background.

Approved stores get the features from December 1, but only on devices running Android 17 QPR2 or later in supported countries , which do not include the US.

From December 1, a store in Google's Registered App Stores program gets that permission automatically once it is approved, and its updates run in the background under the user's own update settings. Joining is optional, and stores that stay out will continue to operate as they do today.

Under Google's rules, the store must still get the user's explicit consent for each install and "must not install apps silently without user consent." Large downloads and background installs must show a visible notification while they run.