Google has officially announced that how Android and the Play Store will change to comply with recent regulatory rulings in India.
Now users of Android can now choose the default search engine via a choice screen.” This is similar to Europe, and “will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India.”
Here are the key changes
- Now the company will license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices.
- Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine.
- 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.
Google considers these to be “significant changes” that will “require significant work” for itself, partners, OEMs, and developers.