![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Google-Play-Store-logo-on-smartphone-stock-photo-3.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google"){kind=logo}
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Edgar Cervantes \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
TL;DR<\/p>\n
Google is opening up the Play Store in the US, allowing users to download apps and make payments outside it starting October 29, 2025.
\nDevelopers can now link to external app stores or payment options and offer cheaper deals directly to users.
\nThe change follows a court order in Google\u2019s legal battle with Epic Games and currently applies only in the United States.<\/p>\n
Google is making major changes to how Android apps work in the US. Following a court order in its long-running legal battle<\/a> with Epic Games, Android users in the US will now see a more open Play Store, where developers can freely tell users about the availability or pricing of an app outside the Google Play Store, and even link to and process payments outside Google\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an Android user in the US, this change will give you more freedom to download apps from outside the Play Store and potentially get better app pricing as well. Google noted in its communication to developers<\/a> that these changes come into effect starting October 29, 2025.<\/p>\n Developers can now tell you directly about cheaper deals for their apps or subscriptions available outside Google Play. They can also provide links to those offers or other versions of their apps hosted elsewhere. Moreover, developers can also offer payment options beyond Google Play Billing, such as direct credit card payments, PayPal, or their own systems.<\/p>\n Until now, Google\u2019s rules have prevented app makers from promoting or linking to external payment options inside their apps, a policy at the heart of Epic\u2019s lawsuit. The court\u2019s injunction forces Google to give up that control, at least while the order remains in effect until November 1, 2027.<\/p>\n Google said that \u201cuser trust and safety remain at the center of what we do\u201d and that the company will continue following its SAFE principles even as it follows the injunction\u2019s directives. The company also confirmed that these changes currently apply only to apps serving users in the United States.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the near future, we will share more program requirements and business model changes to preserve user trust and safety in the ecosystem, based on feedback from the developer and user community,\u201d Google noted.<\/p>\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png\"\/ "\\"google"){kind=icon}
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<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Google-Play-Store-Opens-Up.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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