Amazon Appstore for Android to Shut Down in August; Amazon Coins to Be Discontinued
The Amazon Appstore will remain available on the company's own devices like the Amazon Fire Tablet or Fire TVs.
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Highlights
- The Amazon Appstore will drop support for Android devices on August 20
- Customers can buy apps or in-app purchases until the store shuts down
- Amazon Coins will also be discontinued on the same date
Amazon Coins that aren't used by August 20 will be refunded
Photo Credit: Reuters
Amazon Appstore — the company's third party app store for Android smartphones — will be discontinued later this year, 14 years after it was launched. The e-commerce giant has also announced that it will wind down its digital currency programme that can be used to purchase apps, alongside the Amazon Appstore. While the app store won't be available to download on Android devices, it will continue to work on Amazon's device lineup, which includes tablets and streaming devices.
Amazon Appstore, Amazon Coins Shutdown Timeline
A new FAQ page on the company's website states that access to the Amazon Appstore on Android devices will be shut down on August 20, 2025. Amazon also says that it won't guarantee that any apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore will continue to operate on Android smartphones after access to the store is shut. The company's app store was first introduced on Android in March 2011.
This means that users will not be able to download the Amazon Appstore on an Android smartphone or tablet after August 20, and any existing subscriptions (with auto-renewals) should be disabled. Users can do this visiting the account section on Amazon's website and navigating to Digital content and devices > Your Apps > Manage > Your Subscriptions.
It's worth noting that the Amazon Appstore is only dropping support for Android devices, while it will continue to work on the company's own devices that run on Fire OS. This includes Amazon's Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and other devices that support the Amazon Appstore.
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The company will also discontinue the Amazon Coins programme on the same date, and the digital currency is no longer available for purchase. These can be used to purchase apps, or make in-app purchases via the Amazon Appstore. Users will need to use their Coins by August 20, and the remainder will be refunded after that date.
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While Amazon has yet to announce why it is discontinuing support for Android devices, it's worth noting that Android 15 added even more restrictions on sideloaded applications. Google also introduced new APIs that allow developers to force app downloads via the Play Store on Android, which could further restrict the use of alternative app stores.
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