A U.S. judge has criticized Google's Play Store for not adequately helping users find rival app stores. During a court session involving Epic Games and Google, U.S. Judge Donato expressed dissatisfaction with the Play Store's search functionality and its "are you looking for?" banner.

Epic Games demonstrated how searching for "store for apps" yielded no relevant results, instead showing Walmart. Judge Donato questioned this, stating, "That's not good," and ordered Google to ensure the Play Store understands user intent. He also criticized the "are you looking for?" banner that appears when searching for rival stores, calling it "friction that has no purpose whatsoever" and demanding its removal.

These directives come as Google faces scrutiny over anti-competitive practices. Notably, Aptoide recently returned to the Play Store via Google's new Play Catalogue Access Program, which allows qualifying third-party stores to be listed. This program is a result of the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Google, which has aimed to increase user choice and transparency regarding app store alternatives.