Uptodown - A Viable Alternative To Google Play

When a user wants to install an app on their Android device, the most common way is to go to Google Play, search for and install it. But the Uptodown application store offers an alternative that is already in use by more than 130 million unique users per month and facilitates 450 million downloads per month.

Spaniards Luis Hernández and José Dominguez created Uptodown in 2002 when they were both studying for their Engineering degree at the University of Malaga. In the 20 years since its inception, the company developed into a world leader in the software distribution services sector. Firstly, recognized for its vast and ever-growing catalogue of Windows applications and from 2010 onwards, the company's strategy shifted to cater more for mobile phones when they realized its potential; hence a new focus on the Android platform came to fruition. Today, Android-centric visits are at the forefront of their activity accounting for 80% of its downloads. Uptodown's mission is to facilitate access to and offer a neutral, open space that benefits its users.

Regarding its transformation into one of the most recognized independent Android stores worldwide, Luis points out the challenges that they have had to overcome, stating, “until we arrived, the mobile application industry was dominated with an iron fist by Google and Apple. Our great challenge has been to reverse the idea imposed by big technology companies that we as users do not have the right to choose the source of our applications or the content that we install on our own devices. Little by little, the community returns to appreciate the freedom to choose which has characterized computer user's experience for more than 50 years.”

From a consumers point of view, Uptodown offers better privacy (no need to register) and can be used on any device and in any location in the world, without limitations or restrictions. In terms of security, all the content that is uploaded and provided by Uptodown is scanned by over 60 different antiviruses due to an agreement with VirusTotal. Uptodown also aims to be an exceptional workplace that designs, develops and offers these tools to the world. "Both my partner José Domínguez and myself dedicate all our efforts to building a space where a group of talented people help millions of users to discover, download and share applications in a simpler and more accessible way," says Hernández.

Uptodown's evolution since its shift to Android has been a spectacular journey and factors such as creating a store available in 15 languages ​​have been paramount to its successful growth. Today they have more than 130 million unique monthly users and almost 4 million apps in their catalogue, with an approximate 450 million monthly downloads made by users from all over the world, ranging from places such as the United States to India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and Egypt.

Having recently finalized a major deal with Unity allowing developers to distribute their software directly to this app market, Uptodown expects even further growth and expansion. The industry of Android app developers whose distribution is led and almost monopolized by the Google service looks for and applauds other options to be able to offer their product with their own terms and conditions. This move came after months of controversy over the conditions that Google and Apple subject developers to. One of Uptodown's mission statements is to be able to deliver apps to, "Every region, every device, all content and every user, as long as it is legal and safe," and Hernández adds that when using Uptodown, "it is the users themselves who decide on how to use their devices. We give developers the power to choose, leading to them not having to go through the draconian conditions of big tech companies to distribute their content, and to users the ability to decide where and how they get their apps". Thanks to Uptodown millions of people have been able to download apps, whereas previously, they were not able to for various reasons such as the desire to preserve privacy, or sometimes for having an older incompatible device, belonging to a region where Google does not provide its service, or lack of content localization and accessibility, as to mention a few examples.

Amongst future projects of the company is the launch of a store focused on Virtual Reality, a relevant technological advancement in tune with the current developments within the metaverse industry. “We're about to release our own VR solutions — this means unlocking 7 million APKs for Oculus Quest 2 glasses. We're also finalizing our Unity integration, intended to offer an alternative and independent system for IAPs on mobile video games” said Luis Hernández who predicts the consolidation of Uptodown as one of the leading alternative stores for the acquisition of mobile apps in 2022.