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0 pointsmakeitdouble1y ago0 comments

From the TFA

> Stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps distributed on the Google Play Store (the jury found that Google had illegally tied its payment system to its app store)

> Let Android developers tell users about other ways to pay from within the Play Store

> Let Android developers link to ways to download their apps outside of the Play Store

> Let Android developers set their own prices for apps irrespective of Play Billing

Have you really never ran into any apps that would have hit these restrictions ?

If you've never have use the Play Store in the first place that would be the case, but otherwise I'd assume every app you got from there are subjected to those.

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lolinder1y ago

Yes. I install everything I can through F-Droid or sideloading and only fall back on the Play Store for a few things like banking apps which couldn't care less about Google's monetization rules.

makeitdoubleOP1y ago

Thanks for the clarification.

On banking apps, I wonder how isolated they are. My bank offers insurance services, and they can be paid through other means than my bank account. But I can't contract them in my app, it's only available by phone or through the web site.

I wonder if they just took the safest route and removed any "buying" operation from their app instead of having to fight Apple or Google later (used both apps, had same limitations)

toast01y ago

As an Android user, I've paid for two, maybe three? apps. And got a refund on one because the paid version didn't do what I thought it said it did.

The restrictions on non-Google billing did impact my employer, but it was less of a problem in the US as in some other countries where Google only billing meant we couldn't charge users as very few had Google compatible payment methods and Google wouldn't let us use other providers that could accept money with the payment methods people actually had. We had other methods in our apk download, but I recall having to take those out, too.

Of course, Apple made payment go through them, but most Apple can accept payments from most of their users, and a lot of their users have a payment method on file.

makeitdoubleOP1y ago

To note, the above restriction's impact is not only affecting paid apps, but also all the apps that could have offered paid services.

Amazon Kindle is the poster child of that, but there's a myriad of other services that won't make an app to protect their feelings structure.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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lolinder1y ago

Yes. I install everything I can through F-Droid or sideloading and only fall back on the Play Store for a few things like banking apps which couldn't care less about Google's monetization rules.

makeitdoubleOP1y ago

Thanks for the clarification.

I wonder if they just took the safest route and removed any "buying" operation from their app instead of having to fight Apple or Google later (used both apps, had same limitations)

toast01y ago

As an Android user, I've paid for two, maybe three? apps. And got a refund on one because the paid version didn't do what I thought it said it did.

Of course, Apple made payment go through them, but most Apple can accept payments from most of their users, and a lot of their users have a payment method on file.

makeitdoubleOP1y ago

To note, the above restriction's impact is not only affecting paid apps, but also all the apps that could have offered paid services.

Amazon Kindle is the poster child of that, but there's a myriad of other services that won't make an app to protect their feelings structure.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse