A US judge has ordered Google to remove several barriers that make it harder for Android users to find and install rival app stores through Google Play. The ruling is part of the long-running Epic Games antitrust case and matters because it seeks to make Android app distribution more competitive after a jury found Google held an illegal monopoly.

Judge James Donato criticised what he called unnecessary “anticompetitive friction”, including search results that failed to show third-party app stores and an extra “view” step before installation. He told Google to improve searches for terms such as “app store” and “store for apps”, replace the “view” button with “install”, and ensure rival stores can appear in ordinary search results rather than behind a separate banner. The orders build on an earlier remedy requiring Google Play to carry rival Android app stores and give them access to Google’s app catalogue.