I tried Waze for months, but Google Maps' features kept pulling me back

Google recently faced an antitrust case, leading it to open its Play Store to third-party Android app stores. One such store is Aptoide, a decentralized marketplace for Android apps that has been around for nearly two decades. Currently, Aptoide is only available for installation from the Google Play Store in the United States, while users outside the US can sideload the Aptoide app.

However, the legality and usability of Aptoide remain debatable. Here’s my firsthand experience with the app: I found the Aptoide Games app to be quite limited in categories, only displaying two categories, whereas the official Aptoide app offered more categories, albeit limited to games only. If you sideload the official site, you won't find an "Apps" section.

The only way to find non-game apps is through the Search tool. Despite this limitation, Aptoide Games offers an update section, allowing updates for installed apps from the Google Play Store but not for Aptoide Games apps. Aptoide used to have a feature indicating safe apps through a green check mark, but this feature is no longer available on the app.

On the Aptoide website, apps with scanned code for malicious content display trusted badges. However, the mobile app lacks these badges. It's also concerning that Aptoide Games doesn't include trusted badges for its games. When searching for non-game apps within Aptoide Games, no results were found. Google seems to be steering users away from downloading the full Aptoide app, as it could compete directly with the Play Store.

Currently, the Aptoide app only allows the installation of games, and even then, the apps lack trusted badges. While third-party apps on Aptoide pose a risk due to the decentralized nature of the store, users should take caution and perform thorough research before installing any apps. I recommend verifying the developer's identity and researching the app's reputation before installation.

For now, I wouldn't recommend regularly using Aptoide until Google allows the official Aptoide app on the Play Store and until Aptoide adds trusted badges to their mobile app.