Google will allow third-party billing services for apps and games on the Play Store in India

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google last year for restricting third-party payment services and was investigating the company for other anti-competitive behavior as well. After Google’s recent request to the Supreme Court to block CCI’s orders is denied, the company must adjust its deals with phone makers and ease rules for users.

Starting next month, Android users in India will be able to use third-party billing services for apps and games. They will also be able to choose a different default search engine using a choose screen during installation. These particular rules only apply in India, although other regions have similar rules in place.

As for smartphone makers, they will be able to license individual Google apps to be pre-installed on the devices they ship. Previously, manufacturers were forced to bundle the entire Google suite.

Google will continue to appeal CCI’s decision, but is currently working to implement the following changes:

• OEMs will be able to license individual Google apps to pre-install on their devices.
• Android users have always been able to customize their devices according to their preferences. Indian users will now have the ability to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon begin appearing when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India.
• We’re updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes to allow partners to create incompatible or forked variants.
• Elective billing will be available for 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 installing apps from a variety of sources, including via sideloading, which involves downloading apps directly from a developer’s website. We recently made changes to the Android install flow and auto-update feature for sideloaded apps and app stores, while ensuring users understand potential security risks.

A few days ago Google also agreed to allow third-party app stores to be listed on the Google Play Store, also under pressure from the ICC (check out the Reuters report for more details).