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Please review Google Play Developer policy updates.





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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.





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Thank you,

The Google Play team





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