As of August 18, 2026, Google Play’s US programs let enrolled developers link users to external purchases or app downloads, offer alternative in-app billing, and make Play listings available to participating third-party app stores. These are separate, US-only routes—not unrestricted permission to bypass Google Play. Enrollment, technical and safety rules apply, and some reporting and service-fee obligations are scheduled to begin October 1, 2026.
What changed in Google Play’s US rules
Google’s current US programs create several ways for apps and app stores to connect with users outside the traditional Play purchase or download flow. The changes are tied to the US litigation involving Epic Games and Google; they do not automatically change Play rules in other regions. Google describes the current policies at its US policy overview.
| Route | What it allows | Who handles the purchase or download? | Main constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| External content link | A Play-distributed app can link to an external purchase, app download, or other permitted content. | The developer, its website, or an external store. | Enrollment, required APIs and destination rules; limited to US users and territories. |
| Alternative in-app billing | An app can use another billing system alongside Google Play Billing or, where allowed, instead of it. | The developer or its payment provider. | Payment security, consumer support and other compliance duties; applicable Google service fees may remain. |
| Third-party store catalog access | Enrolled stores can access participating Play listings, and qualifying store apps can be distributed through Google Play. | For a Play catalog app offered through the program, the download is completed through Google Play. | Store eligibility, distribution rights, catalog controls and applicable Play fees. |
These routes are not interchangeable. A link to a website checkout is not the same as an in-app alternative billing integration, and neither is the same as a third-party store offering an app from Google Play’s catalog. Google’s separate documentation covers external content links, alternative billing, and Play Catalog Access.
Where the rules apply—and when
The programs discussed here apply to users in the United States and its territories. A developer located elsewhere may enroll to serve eligible US users, but should not assume the same link or billing flow is permitted for customers elsewhere. Businesses serving multiple markets may need regional policy and payment logic for the US, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, India, South Korea, Australia and other regions.
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Google’s policy history identifies October 29, 2025 as the effective date for initial US changes, followed by expanded external-link and billing programs. Third-party app-store catalog access and the Third-party App Store on Play program took effect July 22, 2026. As of August 18, the next key date is October 1, 2026, when Google says reporting and applicable service-fee obligations begin for enrolled US external-link and alternative-billing participants. See Google’s policy overview, its program announcement, and the catalog-access and developer-controls documentation.
How external purchase and download links work
An enrolled developer can direct eligible US users from a Play-distributed app to a permitted external destination. Depending on the link’s purpose, that can be a website or webview to buy digital content, a browser page to download an app, or another app store already installed on the device. The rules do not make every redirect or APK repository acceptable.
Enrollment and app setup
Google requires successful enrollment before a developer uses external content links. The developer must complete the applicable declaration and onboarding, integrate required APIs, and configure the feature in Play Console. Relevant paths in Google’s documentation include Settings → External content links, Settings → Register external apps, and Monitor and improve → Policy and programs → App Content → External apps declaration.
Linked external apps may need to be registered and reviewed. Google says processing can take up to seven days or longer in exceptional cases. Developers linking to an external app must submit its landing-page and APK download links; updated versions must also be submitted and approved before they are linked. The current external-links requirements describe the process.
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Destination and customer-protection rules
- For an app-download link, the destination may be a browser or an app store already installed on the device. The linked distributor must have the right to distribute the app.
- A download page must clearly identify the app, including its name, icon, description, version, download size and developer information. Users must explicitly initiate each installation.
- Destinations cannot contain unapproved downloads and must provide accessible customer support and user-data policies.
- For off-Play purchases, developers must provide customer support, a way to dispute unauthorized transactions, and refunds—or clearly disclose when a transaction is non-refundable.
Using an external link does not itself settle who handles payment processing, taxes, fraud, refunds or fulfillment. Those responsibilities depend on the transaction arrangement and applicable law.
How alternative in-app billing differs
Alternative billing means the app offers a non-Google payment system within the app. Depending on the applicable program, it may appear alongside Google Play Billing or be used in its place. A developer should not assume that enrollment in external links also authorizes alternative billing, or vice versa; Google documents them as separate programs.
Developers taking payments through their own system or provider need to account for the work that Play Billing would otherwise handle. Google’s alternative-billing requirements cover, among other things:
- PCI-DSS compliance when handling credit- or debit-card data, plus compliance with applicable payment, consumer-protection and child-safety laws.
- Customer support, unauthorized-payment disputes, order-history access, subscription management, and customer-service and refund requests.
- Reliable access to Google Play Billing if the developer offers it alongside the alternative system.
An outside processor does not automatically satisfy Google’s enrollment, API, reporting, fee or consumer-protection requirements. It also does not remove the developer’s operational responsibility for checkout, entitlements, support or applicable taxes.
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How third-party app stores connect to Google Play
There are two distinct arrangements. First, a developer can use an external content link to send a user to another store already installed on the device, subject to the link program’s requirements. Second, an eligible third-party US store can participate in Google’s programs to access Play catalog listings or distribute its own store app through Google Play.
Play catalog listings
Under the Play Catalog Access Program, eligible stores can access Play listing material such as app names, icons, descriptions, screenshots and videos. Developers can choose to publish all listings to all such stores, manage stores individually, or publish no listings to them. The relevant Play Console path is Settings → Catalog Settings. Google began making listings available to enrolled stores on July 22, 2026; listing availability does not mean every store will carry every app or that an app is automatically published everywhere. See Google’s catalog controls guidance.
When a third-party store offers a Play catalog app through this program, the download is completed through Google Play under Google Play’s terms, and Google’s service fee continues to apply to those downloads. Catalog access is therefore not automatically a zero-fee distribution channel. Details are in Google’s Play Catalog Access documentation.
Third-party stores distributed through Google Play
Google’s Third-party App Store on Play program allows qualifying third-party US Android app stores to be distributed to users through Google Play. Google’s eligibility rules address matters including organization registration, marketplace operation, access policies, distribution rights, app information, support and onboarding. A store can curate or limit its catalog while meeting the program’s requirements. The program eligibility guidance sets out those conditions.
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What users should expect from an alternative store
Google says users may discover participating stores through a dedicated Google Play landing page, including through deep links, the Play account menu, the apps category page, or searches such as “App Store” or a store’s name. That does not mean Google reviews every app inside a third-party store.
Google’s user guidance says third-party stores have their own security and privacy practices. For apps obtained through them, downloads, payments and updates are not managed by Google Play; customer support and refunds may likewise sit with the store or developer. Users should evaluate a store’s privacy policies, update practices, permissions, security reputation and refund process independently. See Google’s user-facing explanation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What developers may pay
Google’s current US external-content-links documentation lists the following rates for qualifying events beginning October 1, 2026. The figures are Google service fees, not a developer’s total cost of sale; payment processing, tax, fraud, support, hosting and fulfillment can add costs.
| Qualifying activity | First $1 million in annual earnings | Standard service fee | Games Level Up / Apps Experience programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring subscriptions | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other digital features or services: new installs | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other digital features or services: existing installs | 10% | 20% | 15% |
Google defines a “new install” for this distinction as a user’s first install or first update from Google Play on or after June 30, 2026; an “existing install” is one first installed or updated before that date. These percentages apply to qualifying activities under the program, not every sale made by an Android developer. Google’s external-links fee and reporting terms provide the applicable definitions.
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For qualifying app downloads completed after an external content link, Google lists fixed fees, subject to periodic adjustment, of $2.85 per app install and $3.65 per game install. These are not fees on every Android installation from every source; they depend on the program’s qualifying events and attribution rules.
How to decide whether an outside route makes sense
The lower nominal platform fee, if any, is only one part of the decision. Compare it with payment-provider charges, taxes, fraud and chargebacks, customer support, subscription infrastructure, reporting and engineering work, as well as any conversion loss when a user leaves the app to complete checkout.
- Product and transaction: Distinguish subscriptions, consumable digital goods, one-time digital purchases, non-digital goods and app downloads; confirm the relevant program covers the transaction.
- Geography: Route only eligible US users through the US program and maintain the appropriate experience elsewhere.
- Operational capacity: Alternative billing is a better fit when the business can manage checkout, entitlements, order history, refunds and support. A web checkout is most practical when the developer already operates customer accounts and payment workflows.
- Distribution goals: A third-party store may add discovery, but assess its audience, security practices, update reliability, payment options, support, reach and rights to distribute the app.
- Customer relationship: Direct billing can give a developer more control over the payment relationship while also placing more responsibility for privacy, disputes, refunds and compliance on the business.
For a small team or a product that depends on native subscription management, the added systems work may outweigh a potential fee saving. For a business with established billing operations or a strategic reason to reach users through another store, an external route may be worth evaluating—but only after modeling the full cost and checking the current program terms.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Linking before enrollment: Complete the applicable enrollment and setup before using external content links.
- Assuming one enrollment covers everything: External purchase links, external app downloads and alternative in-app billing are separate implementation paths.
- Sending users to an uncontrolled APK source: External app destinations have registration, approval, distribution-rights and landing-page requirements.
- Assuming Google Billing can always be hidden: Where both systems are offered, users must retain reliable access to Google Play Billing under the applicable requirements.
- Treating a third-party store as Play-reviewed: Google’s distribution of the store app does not amount to review of every app that store distributes.
- Assuming the fees disappear: Google specifies fees for qualifying external transactions and downloads, and Play catalog downloads continue to carry Google Play’s service fee.
Google says the US programs are connected to the court order and may be modified or ended if the order changes or ends. Developers should check the applicable Google policy documentation before changing a production payment or distribution flow.
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