Interesting. I don't really remember what I did to put it on my phone, but it does appear separately in the app library under my name instead of the 'entertainment' category. I haven't wanted to do anything with it since it still works.
does it really have that limitation? I sideloaded a tweaked copy of spotify like 2 years ago and haven't had to do anything to maintain it since.
The pop shop is ass, but you can install the cosmic store and it works wonderfully (cosmic is the DE in development by system76).
They have containers of Thrifty ice cream at Albertsons now.