Google to reportedly prevent developers from bypassing Play Store's billing system from next week

[Karlston]

Google to reportedly prevent developers from bypassing Play Store's billing system from next week

 

In recent times, Apple has come under criticism from developers for its App Store policies. The App Store guidelines force developers to use Apple's own payment system and also share 30 percent of the generated revenue with the company. Google also has similar guidelines for the Play Store but major developers like Spotify, Netflix, and others bypass them by prompting users to directly pay via a credit card. Google has turned a blind eye to these moves from developers so far but it looks like that's about to change.

 

A Bloomberg report claims that Google is going to update the Play Store guidelines as early as next week and make it clear that apps must use the company's billing service for in-app purchases, subscriptions, etc. This would also mean that developers will have to share 30 percent of their generated revenue via such transactions with Google. The company will give developers time to adhere to its updated guidelines and won't remove apps in violation of the guidelines immediately from the Play Store.

 

A Google spokesperson said in a statement that the company allows multiple app stores on Android devices.

“As an open platform, Android allows multiple app stores. In fact, most Android devices come with at least two stores right out of the box, and users can install others. For developers who choose to distribute their apps on Google Play, our policy has always required them to use Play’s billing system if they offer in-app purchases of digital goods. We are always working with our partners to clarify these policies and ensure they are applied equitably and reasonably.”

Apple generates billions of dollars in revenue every quarter via such transaction fees from the App Store and it looks like Google is also now also looking to tighten its grip around the Play Store to generate more revenue from it.

 

Source: Bloomberg

 

 

Google to reportedly prevent developers from bypassing Play Store's billing system from next week

 

[steven36]

Forcing   companies  to pay 30% will not work  on Android   like it does Apple  unless  Google stops allowing  you to sideload apks they  can just   provide a apk  on there website and  charge for it there,  its already being done by some sites.  were dont want to give Google  a cut  , been  ban or   just  offer it in  another store  because there opensource .  That the reason IOS   is lagging  way behind  Android on  apps  many DEVs want touch IOS  and they  bypass Google store  completely with there Android apps   .

 

Same reason Windows store  fail   when they can just make a legacy app with a installer and provide  it on there homepage instead of  giving M$ a cut .  Any store is doomed to fail   if there  more than one way to install apps  if they try  to charge too much  ,  Tech companies like Apple  that lock everything down  risk losing lots of users and devs , wait they  already did . If Google  locks down Android then other stores  and open source Smart Phone OS  have a chance.  Do Google want this? i doubt it they love being a  Monopoly. Thats how they ended with more users than Apple and Windows .Android with all its ads and stuff reminds you  of  before the 90s  WWW / PC era bubble busted .  

 

You even see  on Linux a lot more and more  many paid apps  only  use Snapcraft  because  its cross Linux OS   and many Open Source ones only use Flathub   because  its cross Linux OS , they many other ways  they could provide  users with packages but  they want because of more overhead  but if  Snapcraft  or  Flathub tried to charge  them they would be dead they would just go back to making native packages  and using AppImage  . On Linux  though many apps you can compile yourself  if you don't want to get them from a store  or ppa   but   it up to the DEV  on what packages they provide .  The more they lock down closed  OS   the less DEVs they have . If they  force DEVs  to only make apps for Linux it dont matter  to me it only will benefit me lol.   

 

Many apps  for android   and many  apps for  Android  , Linux  and Windows  the DEVs say because of Apples rules  they never going to provide it . If  there a service they can build a website  were you can use it  in a browser  on IOS . On Linux i can build my own webapps  . But the one thing Apple has going  for it that Google  dont  iOS App Store offers fairly substantial safety  for the apps they do  have . Since Play store is full  of malware  and spyware it  just as risky  to get them from Google than it is to sideload them.  So  do  you chose  security  over quantity of apps?  

 

Apple  makes sure they have all the great paid ones , Even YouTube  looking  for ways to make users pay on Apple. But small  Tech  startups dont stand a chance with Apple  anymore  unless   they offer  it in a browser as well.   You can't underestimate Apple there  very smart they  chose max  profit  over quantity of users  , devs  and apps and  they have fanboys in  all  countries  they even dominate some parts of the world   so there making a killing off services.  even in the middle of a pandemic  Apple  is selling when nothing else is. 

 

While Google  and M$ are looking  for ways to  increase there user numbers  Apple  just keeps  forking in billions  hand over foot  with  what little users they have . I know i never been a Apple user  myself . I thought  with  cheap Android phones  coming to  the USA Apple would be on the way out of the country  but thats not been the case .

 

Numbers  never really matter in Big Tech  anymore  people  dont buy like  they did in the 90s and 2000s anymore .  what  matters  is profit  Apple  has manged  to get  the most consumers  that have money  and buy things and M$  has manged  to get   the  most enterprise  users  lots of  money there.

 

Google  makes most of  there money  from  the Ad market its a failing  industry  under fire from Governments all over the world .  They going to have  figure  something out soon are  there going lose  lots of money.  Them talking about charging  30% is sign of them moving away from ads  but this could easily backfire on them  like  it did on M$,