Amazon recently disclosed that as of August 20, 2025, its Appstore will no longer function on Android phones. While the Fire Tablets and Fire TVs will still be able to use the Amazon Appstore, this marks an important change to Amazon’s strategy that could have repercussions in the larger Android ecosystem.
A Retrospective: The Growth and Fall of the Amazon Appstore
In March 2011, Amazon launched its Appstore aimed to take on Google Play. To compete against Google, Amazon offered exclusive games, promotional packages, and its distinctive campaign of “free app for the week.” Additionally, select smartphones offered through carriers had the Appstore preloaded onto them, allowing for greater brand recognition.
The launch of the first generation Kindle Fire in September 2011 greatly increased the adoption of Amazon Appstore. Fire Tablets do not have Google Play loaded onto them, meaning users are forced to use Amazon’s platform to purchase or download applications. In order to ensure cross-device compatibility within Amazon’s ecosystem, many users completely shifted to the Amazon Appstore.
As time elapses the relevance of app stores like Amazon’s began to decline in the late 2010s. The failure of the Fire Phone made Amazon reconsider its approach to consumer mobile devices, tryign to directly compete with Google and Apple was not the answer. Amazon returned to doing what it did best, flooding the market with budget Fire Tablets and further embedding its services within its own hardware ecosystem.
Discontinuation of the Amazon App Store on Android Devices
According to Amazon, “From August 20 in the year 2025, any apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore will not guarantee to work on Android devices.” This implies the more people depend on the Appstore the more issues they may face in the future.
While Amazon has not offered any reasoning to these claims, It is easy to assume that the company is planning on focusing its proprietary software and service. The Appstore will remain functional on Fire Tablets and Fire TVs, however, those who use regular Android smartphones or tablets will have to look elsewhere. The same goes for users of headsets like the Oculus Quest that are supported by Google Play but not Amazon.
Can The Amazon Appstore Be Used Still?
It’s true that the Appstore will function on Fire devices, but it is still not clear if users will be able to extract its APK and sideload it on other Android devices. If Amazon enforces digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, the ease of sideloading will be hampered, thus restricting the functionality of the Appstore beyond Amazon’s controlled space.
An Overview of What Amazon is Attempting to Achieve with an In-house Operating System
A primary factor to take note of is that Amazon is known to be working on an operating system of in-house development. Some of the devices within the Echo Show family are said to already operate from an in-house Amazon operating system, in addition to that, there have been claims that Fire Tablets may move away from Android in the future. Should this come to realization, the ecosystem of Amazon would become more and more closed and less dependent on the software infrastructure of Google. While not proved, this hypothesis could account for why Amazon is planning to discontinue the in-house support of the Appstore on Android, and even on Windows 11.
The Termination of Amazon Coins
With the closure of its Appstore on Android, Amazon will also be closing the Amazon Coins program. Initially advertised as a ‘digital currency,’ Amazon Coins act closer to store credit or gift card balances. An abundance of users received promotional Coins for their device purchases and Amazon has stated that all remaining balances will be refunded after August 20, 2025. However, the refund process, especially for promotional Coins, is still vague.
What Should Users Do Next?
For those impacted by these changes, the best option would be to move away from the Amazon Appstore and use other app download services. Users of Fire Tablets may want to learn how to sideload the Google Play Store for wider access to applications. Also, if you have a balance of Amazon Coins, you should use them before the cutoff to prevent having to deal with refunds.
Final Thoughts
Amazon’s decision to move away from Android marks a strategic pivot that could have long-term implications for its hardware and software ecosystem. Whether this signals the company’s ambition to create a fully independent platform or simply a restructuring of priorities, one thing is clear: users who rely on the Amazon Appstore for Android devices need to start planning for a future without it.
For the most up-to-date information, users should refer to Amazon’s official FAQ, which provides additional details on the Appstore shutdown and any changes to app availability.
