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After Epic’s antitrust victory, Google changed its U.S. Play policies to let developers tell users about app availability and prices outside Play, link to external downloads or transactions, and offer in-app payment options beyond Google Play Billing. Google says those changes took effect on October 29, 2025, for mobile and tablet apps serving U.S. users. They were one part of a broader court injunction—not a worldwide redesign of the Play Store.
What did Google change in the Play Store after Epic won?
Google said it would stop prohibiting U.S. developers from doing three things:
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- Discussing options outside Play: Developers could tell users about an app’s availability or price outside Google Play.
- Linking elsewhere: Developers could link users to an app download outside Play or to an external transaction.
- Offering other in-app payment methods: Developers could use billing options besides Google Play Billing and tell users those options were available. Google also said developers would not have to charge a different price depending on whether a user paid through Play Billing.
These are Google’s descriptions of its policy changes. They concern what developers may communicate and offer; they do not mean that every app store, payment option, or external link is automatically available in every app.
Can Android developers now use another payment method?
Under Google’s announced U.S. policy, yes: developers could offer in-app payment methods other than Play Billing. The policy change also allowed developers to communicate that those options existed. It did not, by itself, establish that every alternative payment method would be offered by every developer or app.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
Does the change apply everywhere?
No. The October policy changes were for mobile and tablet apps serving users in the United States. The underlying injunction also applies in the United States. Do not read either as a global change to Google Play: Google’s policy description of what applies to U.S. users and the court order’s legal requirements are related, but they are not interchangeable.
What else did the injunction require?
The October 7, 2024 permanent injunction in In re Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation addressed more than billing and external links. The district court’s order also targeted certain arrangements that could limit competition in Android app distribution.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
- Distribution and preinstallation deals: It restricted certain exclusive arrangements involving app distribution and preinstallation.
- Play Billing: It barred Google from requiring developers to use Google Play Billing.
- Rival stores and Play’s catalog: It required Google to provide third-party Android stores access to the Play app catalog and to allow their distribution through Google Play, subject to safety, security, and content requirements. Developers could opt out of catalog access under the order.
The injunction set implementation periods and duration terms; many provisions were set for three years, while catalog access and third-party-store distribution had separate terms. The Ninth Circuit later described the remedies as aimed at conduct that insulated Play Store and Play Billing from competition, and upheld the catalog-access and rival-store distribution remedies.
Can I install rival app stores from Google Play?
The injunction required Google to allow third-party app-store distribution through Play with safeguards. Google says its U.S. Play Catalog Access and Third-party App Store on Play programs took effect on July 22, 2026. Under Google’s current policy description, U.S. third-party stores can sign up for catalog access, and interested store platforms can onboard to the program. This is a program with stated eligibility and safety requirements, not a guarantee that every store or app will appear in Play.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
What happened after the injunction?
| Date | Development | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2024 | The district court entered the permanent injunction. | The order set the U.S. remedies, implementation periods, and duration terms. |
| September 12, 2025 | The Ninth Circuit upheld the verdict and injunction. | The appellate court affirmed the remedies, including those addressing catalog access and rival-store distribution. |
| October 6, 2025 | The Supreme Court denied Google’s application for a partial stay, according to its docket. | The request to pause part of the injunction was denied. |
| October 29, 2025 | Google says its U.S. policy changes took effect. | Developers gained the external communication, linking, and alternative-billing options described above. |
| March 4, 2026 | Google reported that it and Epic had entered a new settlement agreement and asked the district court to revise the injunction. | The request proposed changes; it was not itself a final court ruling. |
| July 22, 2026 | Google says its Play Catalog Access and Third-party App Store on Play programs took effect. | The company’s policy page describes the U.S. sign-up and onboarding pathways for stores. |
Google’s policy page also sets later reporting milestones: relevant service-fee reporting for alternative-billing and external-content-link participants starts October 1, 2026, and reporting of successful downloads for external content links is extended to December 1, 2026.
Is the proposed Google–Epic settlement now the final ruling?
The available official updates do not establish that the district court had approved a revised injunction as of October 4, 2026. Google’s policy page says the existing policies and programs remain in effect while the parties await further action. The proposed settlement should therefore be described as a request to modify the injunction, not as a court-approved replacement.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
In a January 2026 amicus brief, the Federal Trade Commission said the proposal included changes to billing presentation, fee caps, preinstallation terms, and external links, and would remove some catalog-access and rival-store-distribution provisions. The FTC did not take a position on whether the court should grant the request; it urged the court to scrutinize the proposal’s effects on competition and the public interest. Those observations describe the proposal, not a decision by the court.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why did Google object to the injunction?
Google argued in an October 2024 public statement that the injunction could put privacy and security at risk, make it harder for developers to promote apps, and reduce competition on devices. The company also said Android users already had ways to obtain apps outside Play, including direct downloads and other stores. These were Google’s arguments, not findings made by the court.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
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The appellate opinion describes the court’s rationale differently: the remedies were intended to restore competition in Android app distribution and billing and to prevent arrangements that protected Play from rivals. In the opinion’s account of the district court’s reasoning, the remedies “closely track the evidence of anticompetitive conduct at trial.”
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