After years of antitrust scrutiny of its dominance in the mobile app ecosystem, Google on Wednesday, March 4, announced sweeping changes to its app store policies, cutting in-app transaction fees and allowing developers to use alternative payment systems outside its own billing platform.
Mobile developers will have the option to use their own billing systems in their app alongside Google Play Store’s billing platform, the search giant said in a blog post. Developers will also be able to guide users outside of their app to their own websites for purchases, it added.
This stands in contrast to the ‘anti-steering’ policies that have drawn legal scrutiny for Apple, whose App Store rules prevented developers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside its platform. Google further said that it is introducing a new business model for Android developers “that decouples fees for using our billing system and introduces new, lower service fees.”
Developers who opt for Google Play’s billing system will be charged a market-specific rate on top of the existing service fee for in-app transactions. This rate will be five per cent for developers in the US, UK, and European countries. The service fee for in-app purchases has also been reduced to 20 per cent for transactions by users who installed the app for the first time after the new business model was rolled out in the region.
Additionally, developers who opt to take part in Google’s new initiatives such as the Apps Experience Programme and revamped Google Play Games Level Up Programme will see a 20 per cent service fee for transactions from existing installs, a 15 per cent fee on transactions from new app installs, and a ten per cent service fee for recurring subscriptions.
Google’s Play Store policy overhaul seems to be aimed at boosting competition and expanding choices for developers and consumers. They also look to address the key concerns brought on by Epic Games’ 2020 antitrust lawsuit, where the Fortnite maker had accused Google of illegally monopolising how users access apps and make in-app purchases on Android devices.
The two companies reached a US court settlement in November 2025, according to a report by Reuters. Google said that the updates to its Play Store policies will come into effect by September 30, 2027, for Android developers globally.
“This gives app stores more ways to reach users and gives users more ways to easily and safely access the apps and games they love,” said Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google.
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Fortnite will return to Google Play Store
Fortnite was removed from Google Play in 2020 after Epic Games introduced a direct payment system that bypassed Google’s billing, triggering a legal battle over fees and app distribution rules.
In December last year, the wildly popular battle royale game returned to the Google Play Store in the US, following the lawsuit settlement. Now, Google has said that it has resolved all disputes with Epic Games worldwide.
Google is opening up Android all the way with robust support for competing stores, competing payments, and a better deal for all developers. So, we’ve settled all of our disputes worldwide. THANKS GOOGLE!
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) March 4, 2026
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has also reportedly agreed not to sue and disparage Google as part of the binding terms for his settlement. “Google is opening up Android all the way with robust support for competing stores, competing payments, and a better deal for all developers. So, we’ve settled all of our disputes worldwide. THANKS GOOGLE!” he wrote in a post on X.
Sideloading of third-party app stores
As part of its slew of changes, Google said it is starting a voluntary Registered App Stores programme to make sideloading qualified app stores easier. “…app stores that choose to participate in this optional program will have registered with us and so users who sideload them will have a more simplified installation flow,” Google said.
“If a store chooses not to participate, nothing changes for them and they retain the same experience as any other sideloaded app on Android,” it added. The Registered App Store programme will be rolled out in the US first, subject to court approval, by the end of the year.
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