Google got forced to open up Android

A court fight over app-store power is forcing Android to loosen—at least on paper—by letting competing app stores and alternative billing options operate more freely. The shift matters because it directly changes who controls software distribution on billions of devices, how developers get paid, and whether consumers can realistically choose where apps come from.

The pressure traces back to Epic Games’ long-running dispute with Apple and Google over app-store fees and payment rules. Epic’s strategy was to challenge the 30% platform cut and the requirement that in-app purchases run through the platform’s own billing system. In Fortnite, Epic added a button offering a discount on V-Bucks if players used Epic’s own payment flow—an approach Apple responded to by banning Fortnite from its App Store for years. That escalation helped turn app-store economics into an antitrust battleground.

For Android, the key legal outcome came from a December 2023 jury verdict in Epic’s favor against Google. The jury found Google engaged in exclusionary conduct violating antitrust law, including restrictions on app distribution through the Play Store and tying in-app payments to Google Play billing. A permanent injunction followed in October 2024 and was affirmed by the 9th Circuit in July 2025. The remedies were the real shock: Google was ordered to stop blocking anti-competitive arrangements and, crucially, to allow third-party Android app stores to access and distribute the Google Play Store app catalog—effectively giving rivals a comparable library instead of starting from scratch.

Google’s response is framed as “a new era for choice and openness,” delivered through three main changes. First, expanded billing options: developers can use their own billing systems alongside Google Play billing, or guide users outside the app to purchase on external websites. Second, a “registered app store” program intended to make sideloading qualified app stores easier, with a streamlined installation flow for participating stores. Third, lower fees and new developer programs. Google says in-app purchase service fees drop from 30% to 20% (with additional service fees depending on region and whether developers use Google Play billing), and recurring subscriptions fall to 10%.

But the story doesn’t end with the injunction. A separate initiative—“Keep Android Open”—raises alarms among developers about Android becoming more closed in practice. Google announced that starting September 2026, developers may need to centrally register with Google to build Android apps, including paying a fee, providing government identification, and uploading evidence tied to their private signing key. The stated goal is security: reducing malware, scamware, and phishing risks that are more common on Android than on iOS, especially as AI makes convincing fake apps easier to create. Still, the requirement could limit the ability to publish unsigned apps or share APKs directly with friends and communities.

Finally, the EU is pushing on another front: access to Android AI features. An EU ruling requires Google to allow competitors access to Android features for AI services, such as letting users choose which assistant triggers voice actions. Taken together, Android’s future looks like a trade: more competition in distribution and payments, paired with tighter identity and signing controls that could reshape what “openness” means for developers and consumers alike.