Google Grants Rival US App Stores Play Catalog Access, Keeps Its Fee
Google's Play Catalog Access Program opens July 22, 2026, to US-registered stores that pay $5,000 upfront and renew yearly.
- Approved stores receive a daily Play catalog snapshot through Google Cloud Storage.
- Stores must cap malware distribution under 1 percent across any 30-day window.
- No store may charge users extra to download apps from Google's catalog.
Why it matters: Every payment, every malware check and the catalog itself stay in Google's hands; access is not competition.
Google Play Console Help — Play Catalog Access Program ↗ · Jul 16, 20267/16/26