Android Instant Apps policy

Our goal with Android Instant Apps is to create delightful, frictionless user experiences while also adhering to the highest standards of privacy and security. Our policies are designed to support that goal.

Developers choosing to distribute Android Instant Apps through Google Play must adhere to the following policies, in addition to all other Google Play Developer Program Policies.

Payments

Android Instant Apps developers must use the Google Payment API if those purchases are not supported by Google Play In-app Billing and the developer does not have the user’s payment information on file. Developers must collect any new or replacement payment information for a user using the Google Payment API.

Developers that have implemented the Google Payment API in their instant app can also offer purely offline payments, like cash on delivery, or store gift cards in their instant app.

Identity

For instant apps that include login functionality, developers must integrate Smart Lock for Passwords.

Link Support

Android Instant Apps developers are required to properly support links for other apps. If the developer’s instant app(s) or installed app(s) contains links that have the potential to resolve to an instant app, the developer must send users to that instant app, rather than, for example, capturing the links in a WebView.

Technical Specifications

Developers must comply with the Android Instant Apps technical specifications and requirements provided by Google, as may be amended from time to time, including those listed in our public documentation.

Offering App Installation

The instant app may offer the user the installable app, but this must not be the instant app's primary purpose. When offering installation, developers must:

• Use the Material Design "get app" icon and the label "install" for the installation button.
• Not have more than 2-3 implicit installation prompts in their instant app.
• Not use a banner or other ad-like technique for presenting an installation prompt to users.

Additional instant app details and UX guidelines can be found in the Best Practices for User Experience.

Changing Device State

Instant apps must not make changes to the user’s device that persist longer than the instant app session. For example, instant apps may not change the user’s wallpaper or create a homescreen widget.

App Visibility

Developers must ensure that instant apps are visible to the user, such that the user is aware at all times that the instant app is running on their device.

Device Identifiers

Instant apps are prohibited from accessing device identifiers that both (1) persist after the instant app stops running and (2) are not resettable by the user. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Build Serial
• Mac Addresses of any networking chips
• IMEI, IMSI

Instant apps may access phone number if obtained using the runtime permission. The developer must not attempt to fingerprint the user using these identifiers or any other means.

Network traffic

Network traffic from inside the instant app must be encrypted using a TLS protocol like HTTPS.