Amazon Ends Android App Store Operations After Over a Decade

If you're a fan of the Amazon Appstore for Android, I've got some unfortunate news for you. As reported by TechCrunch, Amazon has sent out a notice to developers announcing that the store will be shut down on Android devices on August 20th this year. This marks the end of a journey that began back in 2011, which is quite an impressive run for the service.

For the many developers currently publishing on the store and their fans, this news might be a tough pill to swallow. According to the support page, if you have Android apps installed from the Amazon Appstore, their future support and updates are not guaranteed. However, there's a silver lining: the Amazon Appstore will continue to be available on Amazon's proprietary devices, such as the Fire TV and Fire Tablet.

It's somewhat ironic that Amazon is pulling the plug on its Android app store at a time when alternative app stores are gaining traction. While I don't necessarily blame Amazon for this decision, it's clear that the Amazon Appstore never quite became a household name. This could be attributed to various reasons, but primarily because Amazon didn't offer compelling incentives to attract users. For instance, the Epic Games Store has successfully drawn users with its free games program.

This situation serves as a reminder that even with the backing of a major company, longevity isn't guaranteed. But don't worry, if you're looking for great new releases, why not check out some of the top five new mobile games we've listed for you to try this week?