Google will make third-party app stores more accessible with Android 12.
As reported by Android Central, the tech giant has confirmed a Bloomberg report from last week, which informed readers that as of September 2021, Android app developers and publishers must use Google’s billing method.
However, Google has acknowledged that it will not be a cause for concern for the vast majority of developers as they either don’t sell digital services or if they do, they already utilise the payment system.
Back in August, Epic Games attempted to bypass Google’s methods – and Apple’s – by introducing a new payment option in Fortnite, which prevented the companies from taking their 30 per cent cut. As a result, the battle royale was removed from the storefronts.
Third-party access
Moving forward, the tech behemoth has promised that it will be easier for customers to use third-party storefronts, such as the Epic Games Store.
“In response to that feedback, we will be making changes in Android 12 (next year’s Android release) to make it even easier for people to use other app stores on their devices while being careful not to compromise the safety measures Android has in place,” said Google.
“We are designing all this now and look forward to sharing more in the future.”
The changes with Android 12 could be in response to the ongoing legal battles between Epic and Apple, and Epic and Google, respectively. The Alphabet-owned company asked that its own legal proceedings be kept separate from that of the iOS creator as the firms have different business structures.
