This article was published on October 24, 2014

Amazon snuck an app store into its main Android app over a month ago


Amazon snuck an app store into its main Android app over a month ago

Amazon’s Appstore doesn’t have nearly the same popularity on Android as Google’s own offering does. Besides the fact that many of the apps are redundant with access to Google Play, it’s inconvenient to need to download a secondary marketplace.

But you can now access Amazon’s app catalog without needing the Amazon Appstore. As TechCrunch spotted, it turns out the retail giant quietly integrated a full-fledged app store into its regular shopping app for Android over a month ago.

Basically, when you open the normal Amazon app, you’ll see a category called “Apps & Games” in the menu, where you can view Amazon’s full selection of apps. You won’t even be asked to install the app store to get them – follow the prompt to allow installation from unknown sources in your device’s settings, and the download will begin directly.

Screenshot_2014-10-24-12-55-22

It’s a smart move by Amazon, given over 50 million users have already downloaded its regular app.

Of course, without Amazon advertising it, it’s unlikely people will flock to its selection over Google Play’s. But at the very least, it should allow some impulse purchases by users already doing their mobile shopping.

Amazon Quietly Launches A Functional App Store Within Its Main Android Application [TechCrunch]

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