Policy announcement: July 10, 2025

Policy updates

You’ll have at least 30 days from July 10, 2025 to update your app to comply with the policy changes below. For more details, go to the Policy Deadlines page.

• We’re updating the Personal Loans policy to clarify that only Pakistan has limited exceptions for apps to provide short-term loans (less than 60 days) and in such cases, only in accordance with local laws and regulations.

• We’re updating the Cryptocurrency Exchanges and Software Wallets policy to include a Help Center link that details select country-specific requirements.

Clarifications

Additionally, we’ve added clarifications to some of our existing policies. Because these changes aren’t new or updated, our enforcement standards and practices remain the same.

• In our Permissions and APIs that Access Sensitive Information policy, we're announcing a clarification for Body Sensor Permissions and providing FAQs/guidance for general Android Health Permissions: Guidance and FAQs. Driven by the transition to granular android.permission.health permissions in Android 16, this update clarifies requirements for accessing sensitive body sensor data (such as heart rate, SpO₂, and skin temperature).

• In our AI-Generated Content policy, we’re adding a link to a new Help Center article with industry best practices in safeguarding generative AI apps.

• We’re clarifying that the Content Ratings questionnaire considers only the app’s content and not ads, any additional user agreements, or privacy practices. We’re also reiterating the Inappropriate Ads policy, which states ads content must not be more mature than the app content itself.

• We’re adding a Help Center FAQ link to the Impersonation policy. 

• Apps subject to the updated News and Magazines policy, which requires completing the News & Magazines declaration within Play Console, must comply by August 27, 2025.

• Starting August 31, 2025, new apps and app update submissions must target Android 15 (API level 35). Existing apps must target Android 14 (API level 34) or higher to remain available to new users on devices running Android OS higher than your app’s target API level. If you need more time, you can request an extension in Play Console to extend your deadline to November 1, 2025. See more details in Target API level requirements. To save time and effort, you can use the new SDK Upgrade Assistant in Android Studio to upgrade your app to the new Android SDK.

   

• To help you have smoother app reviews, we launched Play Policy Insights beta in Android Studio Canary release. This beta feature gives you rich, in-context guidance on policies that may impact your app through lint warnings. You’ll see policy summaries, dos and don'ts to avoid common pitfalls, and direct links to details. Check it out and let us know what you think.
• To help you quickly grasp the essential points of our policies, we’ve started adding summaries to some policies in the Policy Center, like Device and Network Abuse and Permissions and APIs that Access Sensitive Information. We’ll continue adding more throughout the year. Each policy summary is intended to provide a helpful overview of the policy. Always review the full policy to ensure compliance.