GoKawiilEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has published updated Play Terms of Service that will take effect on July 29, 2026.
The new terms add clear explanations around Google Play system services and background mobile data usage.
They clarify that users are responsible for carrier charges incurred by these background services.
Google can now charge recurring subscriptions up to two days before your next billing date, instead of one day before.
Google has published an updated version of its Play Terms of Service ahead of its July 29, 2026, rollout. The company is making several notable changes to its existing policy, giving Android users a preview of what to expect. While most of the revisions are mere clarifications, Google has significantly expanded the language around background system services, cellular data usage, and subscription billing.
The revised terms come just months after Google agreed to a $135 million settlement over allegations that Android devices sent cellular data to Google while idle without users’ knowledge.
New Google Play Terms of Service: What’s changing? Perhaps the biggest addition is an entirely new “System Services” section. While the current terms mention system services only once in the definition of Google Play content, the upcoming version explicitly explains which services these are and how they behave.
“Google system services provide various services and updates on certified Android devices. They include key system services provided by Google, Google Play Store, Google Play services, and updates to the Android operating system,” the new terms state.
Google also now warns that these services may consume cellular data in the background, even when users aren’t actively using their devices.
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