Google has announced that it will be making a range of changes to its Android platform in India, this is after the company was fined $161 million by the Competition Commission in India.
The changes will include the ability for users to pay for apps and games through third-party billion in the Google Play Store, plus a range of other changes. You can see the changes that are coming to Android listed below.
However, we are making some changes as required by the CCI’s directives. Implementation of these changes across the ecosystem will be a complex process and will require significant work at our end and, in many cases, significant efforts from partners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and developers.
Here are some key changes we’ll make to our platforms and business in India:
- OEMs will be able to license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices.
- Android users have always been able to customize their devices to suit their preferences. Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India.
- We’re updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants.
- User choice billing will be available to all apps and games starting next month. Through user choice billing, developers can offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system when purchasing in-app digital content.
- Android has always supported the installation of apps from a variety of sources, including via sideloading, which involves app downloads directly from a developer’s website. We recently made changes to the Android installation flow and auto-updating capability for sideloaded apps and app stores while ensuring users understand the potential security risks.
- We are expanding our online resources such as Help Center articles and FAQs to provide more detail on services provided by Google Play and how and when Google Play’s service fee applies.
You can find out more details about all of the changes that Google are bringing to Android in India over at their website at the link below.
Source Google, TechCrunch
Image Credit: Daniel Romero
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