Maybe this matters at the bottom end of the market, but it's mainly the top players I see take this approach to notifications. DoorDash, Uber, and the social media platforms all have incentive to stay on the official app stores.

I expect the bottom end of the market is also dependent on the official app stores to make money. What real alternatives do users have, especially with sideloading on Android now requiring Google bless your APK anyway? (edit: Looks like Google has started to walk this back slightly. Even still. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/11/android-de...)