Google’s Play Console documentation confirms that Catalog Interoperability — the policy resulting from the Epic v. Google settlement — takes effect on 22 July 2026. From that date, a developer’s US app store listing (name, icon, description, screenshots and other metadata) is shared automatically with any third-party Android app store that meets Google’s compliance requirements. Developers who take no action are opted in by default; the choice sits in Play Console under Settings > Catalog Settings, with options to publish everywhere, manage participation per store, or opt out entirely, and it can be changed at any time even after the deadline passes.
This isn’t a hypothetical future change — it’s ten days out, self-service, and reversible, which makes it one of the more actionable pieces of Android policy news this year rather than something to just be aware of.
So what
If you commission or maintain an Android app, this is a five-minute check worth doing before the 22nd rather than after: log into Play Console, find Catalog Settings, and decide deliberately whether wider distribution across third-party stores helps or hurts your app’s positioning — rather than defaulting into it by inaction. For most apps competing on discoverability, broader listing exposure is likely a net positive; for anything where brand control, regional exclusivity, or a single-storefront distribution strategy matters, it’s worth opting out explicitly. Either way, it’s the kind of platform-policy detail that’s easy to miss unless someone’s actively tracking Android developer requirements alongside your build. If you need a hand auditing your app’s Play Console settings or planning ahead of platform changes like this, see our iOS & Android development work or get in touch.