Google Play invests heavily in supporting developers, including through the creation of helpful tools and services to grow their business, features and controls that keep users safe online, and platform improvements that make our marketplace the best place for people to discover the apps and games they are looking for. We fund these investments in part through a service fee applied only when a developer on Google Play sells in-app digital goods or services. We think it is a sensible model as the platform only makes money when a developer makes money, so our success is aligned with theirs. Put simply, if developers don’t make money from these transactions, then neither do we.
How Google Play works
Google Play is an online store on Android that makes it easy for more than 2.5 billion monthly users across 190+ countries worldwide to discover millions of high-quality apps and delightful content.
We help keep consumers safe by building rigorous protections into Google Play and requiring developers to follow high safety standards, while investing heavily in enabling developers to thrive.
Helping developers build and grow
Google Play connects developers to billions of people around the world while investing in the platform, tools, services, and marketing opportunities that support apps and games businesses worldwide. This includes providing:
Security
Keeping users safe online with the best of Google’s technology, such as Google Play Protect which scans 125B apps per day, regardless of whether they were installed from Play or another app store. And, Play’s commerce platform prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent and abusive transactions in 2022.
Developer tools
Helping them build better apps and grow their businesses – run experiments/beta test their apps, optimize store listing, analyze user data, and utilize new AI-powered features to help developers grow.
App distribution
Maintaining and improving a platform which allows developers to easily reach up to 2.5 billion users in 190+ countries around the world, with the ability to optimize delivery by device and functionality and provide ongoing updates.
Billing system
Google Play’s billing system allows developers to seamlessly transact with billions of users, providing a safe, secure, and convenient way to pay for digital content in their locally relevant form of payment and securely store payment data. It enables users to manage and track their purchases and subscriptions, and apply control and security features like parental controls. It deals with the payment of local taxes and regulatory issues, and performs fraud checks, provides customer support services.
New Android platforms
Innovating on new Android platforms like Auto & TV to help devs reach their audience in new ways.
Education
Google Play shares best practices to build a successful app or game business and keep developers updated on changes in our tools. The Google Play Academy is a free-of-charge e-learning platform for developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games. The courses are offered in 13 languages to anyone with a Google Account. Over 100 courses are currently offered and are updated regularly with new information. Topics include:
- How to use Google Play Console features and distribute an app or game
- Best practices for achieving success in an app or game business
- Guidance for staying on the right side of Google Play policies
- Google Play Academy is free to developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games. Play Academy enables opportunities for new and aspiring app makers, shares knowledge and best practices to build a successful app or game business, and keep developers updated on changes in our tools.
Flexibility
And because of the openness of Android, developers of course can also distribute their apps to users from a variety of sources outside of Google Play. In fact, most Android devices come preloaded with two or more app stores right out of the box.
Helping developers build and grow
Security
Keeping users safe online with the best of Google’s technology, such as Google Play Protect which scans 125B apps per day, regardless of whether they were installed from Play or another app store. And, Play’s commerce platform prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent and abusive transactions in 2022.
App distribution
Maintaining and improving a platform which allows developers to easily reach up to 2.5 billion users in 190+ countries around the world, with the ability to optimize delivery by device and functionality and provide ongoing updates.
New Android platforms
Innovating on new Android platforms like Auto & TV to help devs reach their audience in new ways.
Flexibility
And because of the openness of Android, developers of course can also distribute their apps to users from a variety of sources outside of Google Play. In fact, most Android devices come preloaded with two or more app stores right out of the box.
Google Play connects developers to billions of people around the world while investing in the platform, tools, services, and marketing opportunities that support apps and games businesses worldwide. This includes providing:
Developer tools
Helping them build better apps and grow their businesses – run experiments/beta test their apps, optimize store listing, analyze user data, and utilize new AI-powered features to help developers grow.
Billing system
Google Play’s billing system allows developers to seamlessly transact with billions of users, providing a safe, secure, and convenient way to pay for digital content in their locally relevant form of payment and securely store payment data. It enables users to manage and track their purchases and subscriptions, and apply control and security features like parental controls. It deals with the payment of local taxes and regulatory issues, and performs fraud checks, provides customer support services.
Education
Google Play shares best practices to build a successful app or game business and keep developers updated on changes in our tools. The Google Play Academy is a free-of-charge e-learning platform for developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games. The courses are offered in 13 languages to anyone with a Google Account. Over 100 courses are currently offered and are updated regularly with new information. Topics include:
- How to use Google Play Console features and distribute an app or game
- Best practices for achieving success in an app or game business
- Guidance for staying on the right side of Google Play policies
- Google Play Academy is free to developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games. Play Academy enables opportunities for new and aspiring app makers, shares knowledge and best practices to build a successful app or game business, and keep developers updated on changes in our tools.
Succeeding when developers succeed
Apps and games developers are the engines of Google Play. We keep costs low for them to support their growth and innovation. In fact,
Google Play’s fees are the lowest among major app stores, and 99% of developers qualify for a service fee of 15% or less.
Our fee structure also avoids heavy up-front charges that would be harder for small developers to bear. For example, all developers on Play are eligible to pay 15% on the first $1M in annual revenue, and that resets each year. This is particularly beneficial for smaller developers or those just starting out. We’ve also lowered fees for developers offering subscriptions in-app, now charging just 15% from day 1. Additionally, we have a range of programs that take into account the economics of different industries and app models, and may involve reduced fees.
Providing safety for developers and users on Google Play
Enabling consumer choice
Choice has always been a core tenet of Android. Device makers and carriers can preload competing app stores alongside Google Play on their devices. In fact, most Android devices ship with two or more app stores preloaded. And, popular Android devices such as the Amazon Fire tablet come preloaded with a competitive app store and without the Google Play Store.
Consumers can also “sideload” apps, meaning they can download them from a developer’s website directly without going through Google Play or any Android app store at all. People sideload successful apps like Fortnite, as well as entire app stores like the Amazon Appstore, neither of which are distributed through Google Play.
What developers say
Headspace’s new high-quality experience drove business growth on Google Play.
Meditation app Headspace has invested in improving the quality of their Android app by using insights from Google Play Console. This effort has resulted in a new app design with refreshed content and structure, bringing an increase in the number of people using their app regularly and leaving positive feedback.
InovCares
InovCares is an Atlanta-based telehealth platform that provides affordable and customized healthcare through their app, empowering doctors to maximize healthy outcomes, particularly for women of color. Using the free-of-charge e-learning courses on Google Play Academy, InovCares’ founder has been able to improve how their app listing looks on Google Play, helping them to reach more patients and doctors.
Udell Enterprises
Sterling Udell and his wife Teresa have always loved to travel and the prospect of doing so full-time was a dream for them. By kitting out their RV to support Sterling’s work as a developer, they’ve been able to realize that dream. Sterling’s apps, TerraTime and Lunescope, are inspired by his love for the outdoors and, using Google Play, he’s able to share his love with people everywhere.
Duolingo
Duolingo’s mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. By enabling distribution of their app to billions of users across the globe and across all socioeconomic levels, Google Play has helped Duolingo reach 500 million downloads and take steps toward their vision of reducing economic inequality through education.
#WeArePlay
Discover the stories of people from all over the United States building apps and games businesses on Google Play.
Learn moreGoogle Play: A platform with extensive reach
2.5+ Billion Active users on Google Play each month1
150+ Billion Downloads on Google Play in the last year1
3+ Million Developers who choose Google Play to grow their businesses1
Why developers choose Google Play
Google Play is one of many ways to distribute apps and games on Android to people around the world.
A business model that works for everyone
Google Play only charges a service fee to developers who offer a paid app or sell access to in-app digital goods or services.
Only 3% of developers on Google Play are subject to a service fee. The remaining 97% can distribute their apps and take advantage of all Google Play has to offer at no charge.
There isn't a single service fee since developers operate in different industries that require different levels of support to build sustainable businesses.
97% of developers are not subject to a service fee
99% of developers qualify for a service fee of 15% or less
Learn more
Google Play needs to understand the content and functionality of an app in order to help users discover the right app at the right time.
When developers submit apps to Google Play, they provide information about the app including the app title, description, category and graphic assets. They also give information about the functionality and content of their app. Google then identifies additional characteristics and analyzes user feedback through ratings and engagement metrics. This information helps us recommend the right apps at the right time, whether people are browsing for something new or searching for a specific title.
We take a user-centric approach to organizing and ranking apps in order to create an intuitive and enjoyable experience.
Ensuring a positive experience when navigating Google Play means making it easy to find the apps our users know and love as well as new and undiscovered titles. The Google Play store gives users a variety of ways to discover the right apps, like browsing our most popular apps, searching for a specific title, or viewing recommendations.
Many ranking factors are involved in determining which apps to display:
- User relevance: The most relevant apps to a user depends on where they are browsing or the query they use in a search.
- Quality of the app experience: Apps that have strong technical performance and a good user experience are generally favored over lower quality apps.
- Editorial value: Google Play provides curated recommendations to help users find content that is noteworthy and interesting.
- Ads: Some developers choose to advertise on Google Play similar to other Google properties. These ads are well marked and shown alongside other content.
- User experience: Google Play endeavors to ensure users have a positive experience in navigating the wide range of available apps.
For more detailed information on app discovery and ranking, visit this article.
Google Play’s tools and services are designed to help developers test, monitor, and iterate their apps and games to meet their users’ needs.
Helpful testing and interaction tools help developers experiment to create lasting and more meaningful connections with their users. The Google Play platform helps developers react with agility and flexibility when improving the quality of their apps and games. Tools for staged rollouts, beta testing, and early warning alerts empower developers to create better user experiences.
Learn more about how the Google Play Console can help developers:
Google Play knows that actionable data is critical for developers to improve their user experience and grow their businesses.
The data helps developers understand the lifecycle of their app: from how it is discovered in the Google Play store, to how users engage with it, and what users are willing to pay for it. Developers also have access to ratings and reviews to understand user feedback and respond to concerns.
Developers also have access to aggregated data to benchmark their performance across the ecosystem. They can access data through the Play Console, in downloadable formats, and APIs, and continually invest to make metrics and visualizations more helpful.
Google Play ensures that the data collected and shared with developers about their apps protects the privacy and security of our users via our privacy policy.
For more information on the statistics and insights available to developers visit the Play Console Help Center and play.google.com/console/about/. For more information on data access visit this page.
From paid apps to in-app purchases, Google Play’s global commerce platform makes it easy for developers to sell digital goods and content.
In addition to helping developers distribute their apps to billions of Android users, Google Play helps them create revenue streams by launching paid apps, offering digital content, or subscriptions.
Google Play’s global commerce platform allows developers to quickly and safely collect payments from users in over 170 countries. Depending on the market, Google Play provides people with a variety of payment methods, which may include gift cards, direct carrier billing, credit cards, and digital services like PayPal. With a safe and reliable payment system in place, developers can focus on building user experiences people will love.
Learn more about monetization options and best practices for developers or get started with Google Play's billing system.
The Google Play Academy is free-of-charge to developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games.
Google Play shares best practices to build a successful app or game business and keep developers updated on changes in our tools. The Google Play Academy is a free-of-charge e-learning platform for developers, business people, and marketers of Google Play apps and games. The courses are offered in 13 languages to anyone with a Google Account.
Over 100 courses are currently offered and are updated regularly with new information. Topics include:
- How to use Google Play Console features and distribute an app or game
- Best practices for achieving success in an app or game business
- Guidance for staying on the right side of Google Play policies
Developers can also follow us via the Android developer blog, Google Play Medium, Android Developer YouTube, and Twitter for news and updates.
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