Are You Eligible for a Portion of a $700 Million Google Settlement?

Are you an Android user? If so, you may be eligible for a share of a $700 million Google settlement. Here is a look at the details of this settlement, as well as who may be eligible to receive a payment.

Details of $700 Million Google Settlement for Android Users

Android users could qualify for a minimum $2 payment if they spent money on the Google Play Store over the last several years. A group of attorneys general representing all 50 states won the settlement following allegations that Google violated antitrust laws when it tried to monopolize the application market for Android phones.

Customers who spent money on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 could be eligible. The payments will not be finalized until a settlement approval hearing that is currently slated for April 30. Impacted customers in New York state have already received notices detailing the potential payouts. Other states are expected to follow a similar notification process in the days to come.

The case asserted that Google maintained a monopoly over the mobile app distribution and in-app payment processing systems for Android devices. The attorneys general said that Google leaned on this monopoly to charge customers as much as 30% more in fees while using the apps and making purchases.

The details of the settlement do not yet explain the highest payment that customers will receive. More information will become available after the settlement approval hearing.

According to a press release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the terms of the settlement include provisions that will prevent Google from further engaging in anticompetitive conduct. In addition, Google must now pay $70 million to states directly for their specific claims. This money encompasses penalties, fees, and other costs incurred through the lawsuit. Google continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The number of customers expecting payment varies from state to state. For example, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said that state officials estimate that 750,000 Kansans could receive a portion of the payment.

What to Do to Get Your Settlement

Customers eligible for the settlement payout must have had their legal address as part of their official Google Payments profile. The settlement only applies to customers living in the U.S., U.S. territories, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time of purchase. Android users who are unsure if they are eligible for the payments can either call 1-866-905-8127 or email info@GooglePlayStateAGAntitrustLitigation.com.

Impacted customers do not need to take action to receive their portion of the settlement. According to the settlement website, the funds will be transferred to customers automatically through PayPal or Venmo using the phone number or email address that is connected to each affected Google Play account. Eligible customers will receive an email or text message confirming the incoming payment once the settlement has been formally approved by the court.

If the phone number or email is not the same as the information associated with the specific account, customers can create a new account or redirect the funds to another number or email. Those eligible Android users who do not have a PayPal or Venmo account can go through a supplemental claims process. The details of this process will be released after the automatic payments have been distributed. If you would like to be notified when these supplemental claims can be made, simply submit your contact information to the Submit Contact Information link.

According to the details of the settlement, customers will give up their rights to sue Google over the claims presented in the case once they receive the funds. Should you wish to be excluded from the automatic payments so that you can bring your own case against Google, you will need to submit a formal request before February 19, 2026.

Although it is not clear when the payments will be sent, it will not happen until after the April hearing.

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