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Amazon will discontinue its Amazon Appstore for Android, effective Aug. 20.
In a notice sent to developers, Amazon says its Amazon Appstore on Android devices and the Amazon Coins program will shut down this summer. Devs can release app updates, but the store has already stopped accepting new app submissions, and customers won't be able to make any in-app purchases going forward.
In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Amazon says it "decided to discontinue the Amazon Appstore on Android to focus our efforts on the Appstore experience on our own devices, as that’s where the overwhelming majority of our customers currently engage with it."
So, you'll still find Appstore apps on Fire TVs and Fire Tablets. But if you were using Amazon's store on your Android device, you'll have to familiarize yourself with Google Play.
Amazon's Coins program, meanwhile, can be used to purchase certain apps or make in-app purchases. Users who have Amazon Coins can still use them to make purchases until Aug. 20. If the coins aren't used, Amazon will issue a refund; more details on that will be shared later.
The Amazon Appstore launched in March 2011 with just over 4,000 apps. It was preloaded on Amazon Fire devices, as well as some Android and BlackBerry handsets for a time. It faced a legal challenge from Apple over the name, but Amazon ultimately prevailed.
It's tough to compete against Google and Apple, however. In a November report, Statista referred to Amazon's store as a "minor app store" with mainly free apps.
"In terms of content volume, Google Play is the largest app store in the world," Statista says. Apple comes in second, though it "continues to record higher revenues, with global users spending approximately $25 billion on apps during the second quarter of 2024."
Amazon shut down its Appstore in China in 2023. It will also be pulled from Windows on March 5.