The Galaxy Store has its origins in a mobile developer program launched in 2008, Samsung Mobile Innovator. Samsung Mobile Applications, an app store powered by Handango launched at Mobile World Congress 2009 providing software for Windows Mobile, Symbian, and (from August) Java ME. The services had been established in China and several European countries by the third quarter of 2009.

On 14 September 2009, Samsung Apps launched initially in western Europe, providing software for the Samsung Omni