AppWizard
December 20, 2025
Google is complying with a court injunction requiring it to open its Android platform to third-party app stores and to separate its Google Play Billing system from its app store. Developers must enroll in new programs for "alternative billing" and "external content links" by January 28th, which will incur fees. Google plans to charge [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Google has taken steps to comply with the recent injunction issued by Judge James Donato, which mandates the company to open up its Android platform for third-party app stores and to stop tying its Google Play Billing system to its app store. As part of this compliance, Google has introduced new programs and associated fees that will affect app developers.
In a subtle update to its support pages, Google has set a deadline of January 28th for developers to enroll in specific programs designed for “alternative billing” and “external content links.” These programs will not be fee-free; developers can expect to incur substantial alternative fees unless Judge Donato opts for a proposed settlement between Epic and Google.
Although Google has not yet begun collecting these fees, it has outlined a structure where developers will be charged .85 for every app and .65 for every game installed within 24 hours of a user clicking a link that leads outside of Google’s app store. Additionally, Google will take a 20% cut of any in-app purchases and 10% from auto-renewing subscriptions. Developers will still need to submit their apps for review, utilize a Google API for tracking, and report all transactions, including free trials, to participate in these new programs.
For those developers wishing to implement their own billing solutions, the financial incentive may be minimal. Google has indicated that they will offer only a 5% discount compared to their existing fees, which might render the effort to pursue alternative billing unappealing. Specifically, Google will charge 25% for in-app purchases and 10% for auto-renewing subscriptions, requiring developers to integrate a Google API for tracking and to report transactions within a 24-hour window.
To ease the burden on smaller developers, Google has introduced a cap on some of these fees, limiting them to 10% of a developer’s first million in earnings. However, this is only a slight improvement over the existing cap of 15%, which raises questions about its effectiveness in truly alleviating financial pressures for smaller entities.
The upcoming response from Judge Donato remains uncertain. In a parallel case involving Apple, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in contempt of court for imposing a 27% fee on external payments. An appeals court supported this decision but suggested that Apple could charge a commission based on reasonable costs associated with coordinating external links for purchases.
Google asserts that the fees tied to its external content links program reflect the value provided by the Android ecosystem and support ongoing investments in both Android and Play. However, the company has clarified that it will not be collecting any fees at this moment, stating, “In the future, Google intends to apply a service fee on successful transactions and downloads completed via external content links.” Currently, developers in this program are not required to report transactions or downloads to Google.
In a joint progress report, Epic and Google’s legal teams acknowledged the January 28th deadline and other stipulations, but Epic has expressed its opposition to the service fees that Google plans to implement, indicating a readiness to challenge these fees if they come into effect. The fate of these developments may hinge on whether Judge Donato accepts the proposed settlement between Google and Epic, which would establish a broader application of the rules worldwide and potentially lower transaction fees.
As the situation evolves, Google’s support pages continue to change, reflecting the dynamic nature of the ongoing Epic v. Google case. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for January 22nd, where further clarity may emerge regarding the future landscape of app billing and developer fees." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].85 for every app and [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Google has taken steps to comply with the recent injunction issued by Judge James Donato, which mandates the company to open up its Android platform for third-party app stores and to stop tying its Google Play Billing system to its app store. As part of this compliance, Google has introduced new programs and associated fees that will affect app developers.
In a subtle update to its support pages, Google has set a deadline of January 28th for developers to enroll in specific programs designed for “alternative billing” and “external content links.” These programs will not be fee-free; developers can expect to incur substantial alternative fees unless Judge Donato opts for a proposed settlement between Epic and Google.
Although Google has not yet begun collecting these fees, it has outlined a structure where developers will be charged .85 for every app and .65 for every game installed within 24 hours of a user clicking a link that leads outside of Google’s app store. Additionally, Google will take a 20% cut of any in-app purchases and 10% from auto-renewing subscriptions. Developers will still need to submit their apps for review, utilize a Google API for tracking, and report all transactions, including free trials, to participate in these new programs.
For those developers wishing to implement their own billing solutions, the financial incentive may be minimal. Google has indicated that they will offer only a 5% discount compared to their existing fees, which might render the effort to pursue alternative billing unappealing. Specifically, Google will charge 25% for in-app purchases and 10% for auto-renewing subscriptions, requiring developers to integrate a Google API for tracking and to report transactions within a 24-hour window.
To ease the burden on smaller developers, Google has introduced a cap on some of these fees, limiting them to 10% of a developer’s first million in earnings. However, this is only a slight improvement over the existing cap of 15%, which raises questions about its effectiveness in truly alleviating financial pressures for smaller entities.
The upcoming response from Judge Donato remains uncertain. In a parallel case involving Apple, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in contempt of court for imposing a 27% fee on external payments. An appeals court supported this decision but suggested that Apple could charge a commission based on reasonable costs associated with coordinating external links for purchases.
Google asserts that the fees tied to its external content links program reflect the value provided by the Android ecosystem and support ongoing investments in both Android and Play. However, the company has clarified that it will not be collecting any fees at this moment, stating, “In the future, Google intends to apply a service fee on successful transactions and downloads completed via external content links.” Currently, developers in this program are not required to report transactions or downloads to Google.
In a joint progress report, Epic and Google’s legal teams acknowledged the January 28th deadline and other stipulations, but Epic has expressed its opposition to the service fees that Google plans to implement, indicating a readiness to challenge these fees if they come into effect. The fate of these developments may hinge on whether Judge Donato accepts the proposed settlement between Google and Epic, which would establish a broader application of the rules worldwide and potentially lower transaction fees.
As the situation evolves, Google’s support pages continue to change, reflecting the dynamic nature of the ongoing Epic v. Google case. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for January 22nd, where further clarity may emerge regarding the future landscape of app billing and developer fees." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].65 for every game installed within 24 hours of an external link click, along with a 20% cut of in-app purchases and 10% from auto-renewing subscriptions. Developers must submit apps for review, use a Google API for tracking, and report transactions to participate. A 5% discount on fees for implementing alternative billing solutions is offered, but the overall financial incentive may be minimal. Google has capped some fees at 10% of a developer's first million in earnings, slightly improved from a previous cap of 15%. Currently, Google is not collecting fees but intends to apply them in the future. Epic has opposed the service fees and is prepared to challenge them. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for January 22nd.
