The Supreme Court is sticking to its previous ruling: Google must adhere to demands to reform its Play Store operations. The court declined Google’s request to pause certain portions of a prior order, reinforcing that the changes mandated in 2024 remain in force.

In the core of the legal battle—**Epic vs. Google**—Epic Games accused Google of anti-competitive behavior via the Play Store. In 2024, Judge James Donato ruled that Google must dismantle many practices that restricted developer freedom: for instance, forcing the use of Google’s own billing system and restricting third-party app stores. Google had appealed that ruling, arguing that enforcing some changes prematurely would introduce security risks and business harm.

Now, with this Supreme Court decision, Google must comply. The company is expected to allow developers more flexibility in distributing their apps and offering alternative payment systems—measures aimed at reducing Google’s monopoly over Android app distribution.

Google had argued that these sweeping changes were “unprecedented” and could undermine user protection. But the court seems unmoved. Reports indicate that even though Google petitioned to delay parts of Judge Donato’s ruling, the court affirmed they must proceed. Some changes were supposed to begin by July 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

This ruling marks a major turning point in how Android’s ecosystem may evolve. If Google must open the Play Store and loosen control over third-party access, it could reshape competition, revenue models, and developer strategies across the platform.