US Supreme Court rejects Google’s bid to block Play Store overhaul

• A federal appeals court previously upheld the ruling, with major changes set to take effect in 2026.
• The company said it was disappointed by the decision but will continue its appeal later this month.
• Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the ruling as a win for competition and developer freedom.

The US Supreme Court has refused to block parts of a judge’s order requiring Google to overhaul its Play Store.

As reported by Reuters, the Supreme Court rejected Google’s request to pause an injunction from Epic Games’ lawsuit, which accuses the company of monopolising app distribution and in-app payments on Android devices.

In July, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling requiring Google to let users access rival app stores through Google Play and let competing app stores access parts of its app catalog, though the order won’t take effect until July 2026.

The ruling also requires Google to let developers add external links in apps to bypass its billing system, a change set to take effect from October 22, 2025.

Google said it was disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision and will petition the court by October 27.

Epic’s stance

Epic Games CEO and founder Tim Sweeney celebrated the ruling in a post, mentioning the growing competition among vendors offering payment and web shop solutions for developers in the US. 

“The Supreme Court has thrown out Google's stay request," said Sweeney. 

“Starting October 22, developers will be legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens, and friction - same as Apple App Store users in the US." 

Epic argued Google’s objections are based on “flawed security claims” and urged the court to let the order stand to boost competition and lower prices.