Google’s First Play Store Payments Reform After Epic v. Google: What Developers Need to Know

After beginning court-ordered Play Store reforms in October, Google and Epic Games filed a joint motion on November 4, 2025, proposing a modified injunction that would extend developer payment freedoms, cap Google’s service fees, and introduce global Android app-store reforms through 2032.

Since launching the Play Store in 2008, Google had never altered its U.S. payments rules except under pressure. That changed after it lost Epic Games, Inc. v. Google LLC et al., where the court found its billing practices unlawfully suppressed competition among Android app stores. After losing on appeal, Google began implementing court-ordered reforms.

On October 29, 2025, Google updated its developer policies to comply with the injunction. For the first time, U.S. developers could use alternative payment systems, include in-app links to external purchase pages, and communicate freely with users about pricing. Google confirmed that these changes apply only in the United States and remain in force while the injunction stands, currently until November 1, 2027.

On November 4, 2025, Google and Epic jointly proposed a modified injunction that would resolve the case and set Android’s distribution and payments rules through 2032. The filing before Judge James Donato seeks approval of a global settlement replacing the limited U.S. order. A hearing is scheduled for December 11, 2025.

For developers, the proposed order matters because it defines what they can do and what Google cannot. The settlement keeps key prohibitions in place: Google may not pay or share Play Store revenue with device makers or carriers to discourage rival stores, require developers to launch first or exclusively on Play, or enforce feature-parity rules across stores. These restrictions continue the structural remedies imposed in 2024 but provide longer duration and clearer compliance terms.

The most significant operational change is a new Registered App Store program. Google would modify Android so that users can install approved third-party app stores through a single, neutral screen. Once installed, those stores can manage app downloads and updates directly without additional confirmation prompts. The registration process would rely on standardized safety and security criteria. The same system would apply globally, giving developers practical access to alternative distribution channels outside Play.

The settlement would also lock in the right to offer alternative in-app payment methods. Developers could display side-by-side payment options, including Google Play Billing and third-party processors, and charge different prices for each. Google would remain allowed to apply basic user-experience and trust-safety guidelines but cannot design policies that make alternative payments harder to use. Developers can also link directly to external websites for purchases and charge lower prices there.

The proposed injunction sets maximum service fees that Google can charge for transactions processed outside Play Billing, no more than 9 percent or 20 percent depending on transaction type and installation date. These fee ceilings, in place through 2032, replace ongoing disputes about Google’s ability to impose service charges on outside transactions and give developers long-term pricing certainty.

The implementation period would remain eight months from court approval, matching the original injunction’s technical schedule. Changes to Android’s installation flow, interface text, and review procedures would follow standards agreed to by both sides and overseen by the existing Technical Committee.

If approved, the settlement would make permanent what developers gained temporarily under the injunction: freedom to use alternative billing, ability to link outside the Play Store, and a defined upper limit on Google’s fees. It would also remove the U.S.-only limitation and extend these rights worldwide. For developers building or distributing Android apps, the key takeaway is operational clarity, how payments can be structured, what fees apply, and how alternative stores will be installed and maintained across the Android ecosystem through 2032.