Google’s first U.S. Play Store policy changes after its antitrust loss took effect on October 29, 2025. The larger changes—lower, separate service and billing fees, plus programs for rival app stores—rolled out in stages through June and July 2026. Developers still owe Google a service fee in many cases, and a judge was reported in August to remain concerned about how easily users can find competing stores.
What Epic won—and what the court required
Epic’s case was about control of Android app distribution and payments, not simply the size of a commission. On December 11, 2023, a jury found that Google unlawfully maintained monopoly power in markets for Android app distribution, in-app billing, and the connection between Play distribution and Google Play Billing. It also found that Google unlawfully tied Play Store use to Play Billing. The Ninth Circuit upheld the central judgment and injunction on July 31, 2025. The court filing summarizing the verdict and remedies describes an injunction requiring more room for alternative payment and distribution options, while allowing reasonable safety measures and cost-based fees for catalog-access services.
The district court entered its permanent injunction on October 7, 2024. Among other things, it required Google to let developers communicate about alternative billing, prices, and distribution; permit third-party stores to seek access to Play’s app catalog; and allow rival stores or distribution platforms to be distributed through Play. The injunction was designed to last three years, subject to its terms and later proceedings.
What changed first in the U.S.
Google’s first specified compliance changes took effect on October 29, 2025. For developers serving U.S. users, Google’s policy allowed external download and transaction links, discussion of other prices and payment methods, and alternative in-app billing. The changes were U.S.-specific; they should not be read as a worldwide rule. Google launched the relevant external-content-link and alternative-billing programs on December 9, 2025. The current Google Play policy page sets out the policy scope and dates.
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These options are related but not identical. Alternative billing lets a developer use a payment system other than Google Play Billing within the app under the applicable program. An external link takes the user to a website or other destination to download an app or complete a transaction. Either option can involve added steps for the user and responsibilities for the developer.
What the 2026 settlement changed about fees
On March 4, 2026, Google and Epic announced a settlement framework and asked the district court to enter a revised Modified Injunction. Google said the parties had resolved their disputes worldwide, but its policy page described the revised injunction as a request to the court, not as a reason to treat every implementation question as finished. Google’s March 2026 announcement described a fee model that separates the fee for Play services from the fee for using Google’s billing system.
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Google began rolling out the new fee model on June 30, 2026, in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Economic Area. The figures below describe Google’s announced structure for those markets, not a universal fee schedule. The service fee applies whether a transaction uses Play Billing, alternative billing, or an external link; the separate billing fee applies when the developer uses Play Billing.
| Fee or case | Announced amount and scope |
|---|---|
| Starting service fee | 10% on the first $1 million in annual earnings under the announced model. |
| Standard in-app purchase service fee | 20% for qualifying transactions from new installs. |
| Subscription service fee | 10%. |
| Qualifying program rate | Participants who meet the requirements for Google’s Apps Experience or Games Level Up programs may qualify for lower rates, including a 15% service fee for transactions from new installs. |
| Google Play Billing fee | 5% in the U.S., U.K., and EEA when the developer uses Google Play Billing. |
| Alternative billing or external link billing fee | No separate 5% Google Play Billing fee when the developer does not use Google’s billing system; the service fee still applies. |
“New install” is based on the user’s installation history, not merely the date of a particular purchase. Google’s June explanation defines a new install as a user’s first install or first update from Google Play on or after the fee model’s regional rollout date; an existing install is one that first occurred before that date. Rates can therefore differ by transaction type, region, installation history, and program eligibility. See Google’s June 2026 explanation of expanded billing for the fee mechanics.
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How rival app-store access works
Google’s rival-store changes have two distinct parts. Catalog access lets a qualifying third-party Android store seek access to Play’s app catalog. Distribution through Play lets an eligible third-party app store or distribution platform itself be made available through Google Play. Neither means every rival store automatically receives every Play app or that any store gets unrestricted access.
Google’s Play Catalog Access Program and Third-party App Store on Play Program became effective in the U.S. on July 22, 2026. Google also began making Play listings available to third-party U.S. Android stores unless developers opted out by that date. Participation remains subject to program eligibility, onboarding, safety rules, and catalog and developer choices. The policy and opt-out details are on Google’s Play policy page.
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What Android users may—and may not—notice
- More payment choice: Some developers can offer a non-Google payment option or direct users to a web checkout. That does not guarantee a lower price; developers decide whether to pass any savings on.
- More ways to reach competing stores: Programs create routes for qualifying rival stores, but store availability, catalog size, and discovery will vary. A separate installation or registration step may still be required.
- Different support and protections: Payment, refunds, parental controls, subscriptions, and security practices may differ between Google Play and another store or checkout provider. Users should check who handles the transaction and support before paying.
- Compatibility and updates: Apps obtained through different stores can have separate update paths or store-specific features. Check the app’s instructions if an installation or update fails.
Google continues to emphasize security risks associated with sideloading and may retain safety checks or warnings. The changes do not mean users can install any store or app through Play without conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What developers should compare before switching payment flows
The headline fee percentage is only part of the cost. A developer comparing checkout paths should include payment processing, tax handling, fraud and chargebacks, refunds, subscription management, customer support, account linking, analytics attribution, and possible conversion loss when users leave an app for a website. Program enrollment, reporting, region-specific rules, and the user’s install history also affect the calculation.
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| Model | Google fees in the U.S., U.K., and EEA under the announced model | Payment flow | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play Billing | Applicable service fee plus a 5% billing fee. | Payment inside the app through Google’s system. | Integrated flow and less payment-operation work, but Google controls the billing layer. |
| Alternative in-app billing | Applicable service fee; no separate 5% Play Billing fee. | Developer-selected payment system inside the app, subject to program rules. | More payment control, with added integration, compliance, and support responsibilities. |
| External web checkout | Applicable service fee; no separate 5% Play Billing fee. | User leaves the app for a web transaction. | More control over web commerce, but added user friction and web-payment operations. |
Developers should also determine whether a transaction qualifies as new-install or existing-install activity, whether they meet a lower-rate program’s requirements, and whether they want their listings distributed through participating third-party stores. Google’s policy says enrolled U.S. developers using external links or alternative billing are scheduled to begin reporting transactions and successful downloads and paying applicable service fees on October 1, 2026.
What remains unsettled
The settlement framework, the court-ordered U.S. remedy, and the rules already implemented are separate things. Google and Epic asked for a revised injunction in March 2026; the policy page documents effective dates and program terms, while court oversight and implementation questions continued. A report published August 14, 2026, said Judge James Donato believed Google Play was not doing enough to help users discover competing app stores and expected further changes. That is a report about the judge’s position, not a substitute for the underlying court order: Android Central’s August report.
The practical test is not only whether developers may link out or use another billing provider. It is whether competing stores can become visible and viable, whether developers can use the new options without prohibitive friction, and whether users gain meaningful choice while retaining clear information about payment, refunds, and security.
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