Google Play Developer Program Policy Update

Please review Google Play Developer policy updates. View as webpage DEVELOPER UPDATE Hello Google Play Developer, As part of our commitment to maintaining security and transparency on Google Play, we’re rolling out our latest round of policy updates. We highly recommend reviewing the summary below to determine which sections apply to your apps. More details about this announcement can be found in our Policy Center. Updated policies You'll have at least 30 days from today to update your app to comply with the policy changes below. See our Policy Deadlines for specific timelines. Our Age-Restricted Content and Functionality and Child Safety Standards policies have new requirements and restrictions for anonymous chat and random chat apps. Our Families Policy Requirements policy also prohibits anonymous chat apps from targeting children. For apps that use SMS and Call Log Permissions, verifying user accounts via a phone call is no longer an approved use case for the READ_CALL_LOG permission. Use additional alternative APIs like the Digital Credentials API or the SMS Retriever API. To meet Android developer verification and Play Console requirements, you must register your Play apps in Play Console. While 99% of apps on Play were registered automatically, you should check your Android Developer Verification page in Play Console and register any remaining apps to avoid global removal from Google Play and ensure a seamless user installation experience. You can also use Play Console to register apps distributed outside of Google Play, ensuring they remain installable on certified Android devices. Clarifications Additionally, we've added clarifications to some of our existing policies. Our enforcement standards and practices remain the same. The Personal Loans policy requirements for Earned Wage Access (EWA) apps ensures that EWA services maintain the same high standards for transparency and user privacy protections as other financial service apps. Our User Data requirements also apply to third-party AI integrations, including limited use, disclosure and consent. In our Content Ratings policy we’re clarifying that we don’t allow unrated apps on Google Play. We're providing more guidance around precise and approximate locations disclosures in the Play Data safety section. Reminders and additional information All apps must meet the annual target level API requirements by August 31, 2026 to provide users a safe experience. To help you catch potential issues before you submit your app for review, we've launched a new Android skill to help you with Play Policies. It’s an open-source tool to help your preferred AI assistant evaluate your code right inside your IDE or CLI. Read more. We've introduced a standardized numbering system across some policies for better tracking and clarity. You'll see these starting today, with more being updated over time. Please review these policy updates carefully in case any of your apps are impacted. To learn more about complying with these changes: Watch this PolicyBytes video, which can also be found on our PolicyBytes Hub. Register for a Policy Webinar, available for multiple regions. Send in your questions in advance. Visit our new Play Academy courses and video: Comply with Google Play's Age Restricted Content and Functionality Policy Privacy Policy best practices Ask questions in the Google Play Developer Help Community. REVIEW UPDATES Thank you, The Google Play team Connect with us © 2026 Google LLC 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Google Play Developer account.