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this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2024
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Yeah, you don't have to, but then nobody is getting your app. Most people don't have other stores and will look at you weird if you mention side loading. Samsung/Galaxy Store maybe, but even Samsung users mostly don't use it.
So technically your don't have to use it and your app is obtainable without it, but If you want to actually reach some users, you have to be on Google Play.
Google search was just declared a monopoly, when there are obviously other searched engines anyone can use. If that's a monopoly then Google Play is a bigger monopoly.
On Android you can distribute your app through the Play Store without being forced to use Google's in-app purchases. For example: Patreon.
You're not wrong about Google Play, but Apple's behaviour is objectively worse.
I absolutely agree Apple is worse in general.
But no, you can't use a different payment system (except in South Korea). And yes, there are big apps to whom magically rules don't apply, including Patreon or Steam. If you include the same thing in your app, you will be banned, and pointing to examples of other apps is not allowed in any appeal. Between anticompetitive rules being applied to everyone and them being applied selectively based on backroom deals, I'd rather have the Apple approach, since at least it's fair in that regard.
Official policy is that only payments for physical goods, physical services, utilities (water, gas) and credit card payments (paying back a bank for credit card usage) are allowed to use non-Google payment systems.
But again, rules don't apply if you are a big fish.
It’s probably just like shopping malls. Big brands pay less rent because they drive more people to the mall and thus have more leverage.
Yep. It just sucks when you are a smaller developer. I was told by Google Play Developer support I can't make the app I wanted to do, and no, the fact other big apps are allowed to do the exact same thing doesn't matter.