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Google’s $135 Million Android Settlement: Who Qualified, How Payment Election Worked, and What to Check Now

The $135 million Taylor v. Google Android settlement involved alleged cellular-data transfers. Here is who qualified, how payment election worked, and what to verify now.
From TheFinanceBase Team5 min to read
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The settlement is real, but the original deadlines listed by the official website have passed. The proposed $135 million settlement in Taylor v. Google LLC concerns allegations that Android devices transferred information over cellular networks without users’ permission, potentially consuming mobile data. The official site listed May 29, 2026, as the deadline to opt out or object and June 23, 2026, as the final-approval hearing date. As of September 5, 2026, do not assume that a new claim window is open or that payments are being distributed: check FederalCellularClassAction.com for current instructions.

What this settlement is—and is not

The case is Joseph Taylor et al. v. Google LLC, Case No. 5:20-cv-07956-VKD, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division. The proposed settlement fund is $135 million.

Plaintiffs alleged that Android devices sent various information to Google in the background over cellular networks, including when phones were idle or apps were closed. They claimed this consumed users’ mobile data and benefited Google without users’ permission. Google denied the allegations. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, and the court did not decide whether either side was correct.

This is not Google’s separate $700 million Google Play antitrust settlement or a Google Assistant privacy settlement. It is a class-action settlement about alleged cellular-data transfers from Android devices.

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Who was included?

The published class definition generally covered natural persons in the United States who:

  • Used a mobile device running Android;
  • Accessed the internet through a mobile carrier’s cellular data network;
  • Did so from November 12, 2017, through the date the settlement received final approval; and
  • Were not members of the similar Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit involving California residents.

Simply having a Google account or owning an Android phone was not enough under the published definition. The relevant use had to involve cellular internet access, and the person had to be in the United States. Companies were not included as natural persons.

Because the class period ends on the final-approval date, the court’s current status remains important. Review the official FAQ and court documents rather than relying on an old article.

Was there a normal claim form?

According to the official FAQ, eligible class members who did not opt out were intended to receive a payment without submitting a traditional claim documenting a purchase or specific amount of mobile data. Instead, class members were asked to choose a preferred digital payment method through a Payment Election Form.

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The purpose of the form was to give the administrator a reliable way to deliver payment. It was not an invitation to estimate losses, upload phone bills, or submit multiple claims.

  • Only one payment was allowed per person.
  • Only one Payment Election Form could be submitted per person.
  • Multiple email addresses did not create multiple payment rights.
  • If you used more than one email address, the FAQ instructed you to use one preferred, current address.

The official payment-election page is the appropriate place to check whether any current process remains available. The retrieved settlement information does not establish that a new September 2026 filing window is open.

How much might someone receive?

The individual amount was not fixed. The FAQ estimated approximately 100 million settlement class members and said the administrator would try to pay each successfully paid class member the same amount from the fund after deductions.

The $135 million fund would also cover notice and administration expenses, taxes, court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, and service awards to class representatives. Those deductions mean the gross fund cannot simply be divided among class members.

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The official materials also described a possible redistribution of remaining money to eligible people who were successfully paid, subject to a $100 per-class-member cap if economically feasible. If redistribution was not feasible, remaining funds would go to a court-approved organization rather than back to Google.

Therefore, “up to $100” was not a guaranteed payment or necessarily the expected amount. The official FAQ said the exact individual payment was unknown.

Which deadlines mattered?

Event Date or status
End of the published class-use period Final-approval date
Deadline to exclude yourself or object May 29, 2026
Final-approval hearing listed by the official site June 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PDT
Payment timing After final approval and resolution of appeals, according to the pre-approval FAQ

As of September 5, 2026, the May 29 deadline and scheduled June 23 hearing date are past. The available research does not verify a later court order, a final payment schedule, or a reopened claims process. Do not tell yourself that you can still file—or that payments have started—unless the administrator’s current website or court documents confirm it.

What should you do now?

  1. Start at the official domain. Type FederalCellularClassAction.com into your browser instead of relying on a message link.
  2. Confirm the case details. Look for Taylor v. Google LLC and case number 5:20-cv-07956-VKD.
  3. Check the current status. Review the home page, FAQ, payment-election page, and important documents.
  4. Use the payment-election process only if the official site currently accepts it. Do not submit duplicate forms or use multiple email addresses to try to create extra payments.
  5. Contact the administrator if you received a notice or need clarification. Ask whether your notice is genuine, whether the payment-election process is still available, and what status applies to your record.

“Doing nothing” was not the same as rejecting the settlement. Under the published notice, a person who stayed in the class remained bound by the settlement and court decisions, gave up the right to separately sue Google over the released claims, and could still have a payment attempt made. However, failing to select a payment method increased the risk that the payment attempt would fail.

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Can you still opt out and sue Google separately?

The official instructions listed May 29, 2026, as the exclusion deadline. An opt-out request was required to be a personally signed letter containing your full name, current address and telephone number, a clear request for exclusion, the case name and number, and your signature.

That deadline has passed. Do not assume you can opt out now unless the administrator or court has issued a later modification. If you believe a legal deadline affects your rights, consult a qualified attorney rather than relying on a general internet article.

How to spot settlement scams

  • Do not pay an upfront fee to receive a settlement payment.
  • Do not provide your Social Security number, Google password, bank password, cryptocurrency, or remote access to your device in response to an unsolicited message.
  • Check the domain manually and confirm the case name and case number.
  • Do not submit more than one payment-election form.
  • If a message pressures you to act immediately or promises a guaranteed $100, verify it independently.

The official FAQ lists these administrator contacts:

Federal Cellular Class Action
c/o Settlement Administrator
1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 1-844-655-4255
Email: [email protected]

Use the contact information published on the official website and independently type the address into your browser before sharing information.

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