After some confusion – and after seeing Apple affected by iOS App Store policies – Google is clarifying how and when it plans to take its share of paid apps on the Google Play Store.
According to A. The Android Developers Blog is published todayAny developer with an app on Google Play that has to do some ‘technical work’ to integrate Google’s billing system will have until September 30, 2021 to comply. This means that these developers can continue to collect direct payments from customers without having to give Google a 30% cut for the next year. This deadline will likely coincide with the release of Android 12; Android 11 It launched on a large scale earlier this month. Android 12 will also make it easier for developers to present their apps in third-party app stores.
This new policy is part of a larger push by Google to make its Google Play policies more visible to developers, and to continue its support for developers who also want their apps in other stores across multiple platforms. The one-year “jailbreak” card is really for companies with a major physical storefront who have had to transition to a fully digital platform to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Google Vice President of Product Management Samir Samat wrote: “We heard comments that our policy language could be more explicit regarding the types of transactions that require the use of the billing system in Google Play, and that the current language was causing confusion.
Google now requires developers to use Google Play’s billing system for apps and downloads if the system is already integrated into the app, and developers must use this system to charge for features or services within the app. There are some exceptions to the rules, which will go into effect on January 20, including payments for physical goods and apps that allow money transfers, like Venmo.
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While it appears Google has become more like Apple by requiring developers to charge their customers with Google’s billing system, the company couldn’t be more clear about continuing to support the open Android API.
“We believe that developers should have a choice in how to distribute their applications and that stores should compete for the work of the consumer and the developer,” Samat said.
These options include allowing users to set default messages, keyboard, phone dialer, or any other app from a developer of their choice.
He added, “This openness means that even if the developer and Google do not agree on the terms of work, the developer can still distribute on the Android platform.”
The developer is not required to use the Google Play Store to make an app available on Android. Samat pointed out that It is an electronic game Available on Android via Epic’s Or Samsung’s Galaxy App Store; Google removed them It is an electronic game From her store After Epic Games intentionally violated its policies. Samat also explained that developers “can communicate with their customers directly about prices, offers and alternative methods outside of the application via email or other channels.”
Basically, developers are allowed to tell their users where else they can download their apps if they don’t want their information to pass through Google’s billing system – a practice Apple bans according to App Store guidelines.
There is an argument to be made about how much Google is taking in developers, but at least Google offers a solution. That might save the company from the antitrust rule.
