Google no longer offers downloading and updating paid apps via Play Store to users in Russia

by ddos ·

In March, due to sanctions against local Russian banks, they have been unable to connect with the international financial system, which has made Apple App Store and Google Play Store payment systems unavailable. To this end, both Apple and Google announced that they will suspend the sale of paid apps in Russia, and users who have already purchased can download and update them without affecting free apps.

But in fact, both Apple and Google have been unable to pay Russian developers for app sales, and most of Russia’s financial system has been blocked. Now it’s even worse for Android users in Russia, as apps that have been paid for before can no longer be downloaded and updated.

Google Play Games Windows
Google issued an announcement that users can no longer download any paid applications through Google Play Store to meet legal requirements due to compliance considerations. At the same time, Russian developers can also continue to publish free applications, which can continue to be downloaded by users and automatically updated on a daily basis. “As part of our compliance efforts, Google Play is blocking the downloading of paid apps and updates to paid apps in Russia starting May 5, 2022,” the company said.

Based on practical considerations, Google encourages developers to provide subscribers with a grace period, such as extending the original subscription expiration time by one year without charging. Because once a fee is involved, it will be terminated because the payment system cannot be used, so the user cannot continue to use the application normally after the subscription expires.

Tags: googleplay store