One of the best things about the Android mobile operating system is that you are not restricted to using Google Play Store for app downloads. You can use a third-party App Store on your phone or simply side-load an application.
However, the process of sideloading an app or using a third-party app store isn’t quite simple. First, the user needs to enable permission in Settings to do so and even then there are a few warnings while going through the process.
Now, Google has outlined that it is making changes in the developer policies which will make it easier to use third-party app stores on Android 12. The company has said that it “will 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.”
So far, details about how the company plans to achieve this haven’t been revealed but we expect to get to know more about it soon. While it could relax third-party app store policies, the company is tightening grip on in-app payments.
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Google has said that “all developers selling digital goods in their apps are required to use Google Play’s billing system,” and to make the message more clear, it is updating language in its payment policy. Apps not using this system will need to add it for digital goods by 30th September 2021.
However, the company relaxed rules for businesses that started offering “virtual” versions of their normal non-digital offerings because of COIVD-19. Addressing this, Google said that “we recognize that the global pandemic has resulted in many businesses having to navigate the challenges of moving their physical business to digital and engaging audiences customers in a new way, for example, moving in-person experiences and classes online. For the next 12 months, these businesses will not need to comply with our payments policy, and we will continue to reassess the situation over the next year.”
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