Android users will soon be able to both subscribe to and get all of the pertinent app subscription details directly in the Google Play Store. And they’ll be able to see that information and subscribe before they even install the app, reports indicate.
Summarily, Google is working to change the Google Play store to showcase subscription options alongside the install button. For instance, an application with a free trial subscription will not only present an „Install” button. It will also provide users a „Free trial & install” button. Presumably, for apps that don’t offer a free trial, the language will be changed to „Subscribe” or the like.
Below that, Google plans to give developers a card-like UI, calling out features that are found in the subscription. That would include details about what the subscription delivers, the cost, and the period over which billing occurs.
The change, and at least one other, is arriving as part of an update to the Android Billing Library. Specifically, that’s coming alongside Android Billing Library version 3.
This builds on a previous Play Store commitment to Subscription clarity
Now, Google has made other changes here as well. To begin with, it’s changed the cart to ensure that users can clearly see differences between trial period offers and the normal price structure of apps. The company also sends out email reminders to alert users if their free trials will end. That’s alongside a notification that reminds users to unsubscribe to services when they uninstall an application that has a subscription.
That change and others build on an update to Google Play Store policies back in April. The search giant introduced that policy change as a measure to ensure app developers are more transparent about two aspects of their apps.
First, developers are now required to present users with details about the app’s subscriptions, if any, upfront. Of course, that includes subscription benefits, costs, billing frequency, and benefits. Those will be presented in-app. But the presentation must also give users the option to completely dismiss sign-up offers.
Secondary to that, the company also now requires app developers to give a 'clear and definite’ reason that users’ location needs to be tracked in the background. And what, exactly, an acceptable reason is will be decided by Google. Apps that don’t require background tracking for core functionality will be summarily dismissed. That policy goes into place in August.
The rollout here is going to take some time
For now, only a select group of app developers have access to the new features. That’s largely down to Google’s planned timeframe for the introduction and wanting to give developers time to switch over to Android Billing Library version 3. Developers will have until August 2, 2021, to implement the new Billing Library in new apps. For existing apps, they’ll have until November 1 of that same year.
Prior to that, Google will implement a change in how users interact with their subscriptions. As of November 1, subscriptions. Summarily, the company will begin enforcing features that allow users to pause subscriptions, with the default setting being switched over to „on.”
Presumably, that will force subscriptions to pause for customers. But it’s also ensuring that features such as Account Hold and Restore are available to everybody. Those will be required for all subscription-based apps by November 1 of this year.
For developers, Google is offsetting the new policy with a new pop-up box they can present to users who are canceling. That will allow developers to present users with al ist of features they’ll only have if the subscription remains active, for instance.
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com