How to Access Funds from Google Play Store Settlement
December 17, 2025
Thousands of DC Residents Who Made Purchases on the Google Play Store from 2016 through 2023 Are Expected to Receive Restitution Next Year
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today shared new information and instructions about how District residents can access funds from a multistate, bipartisan $700 million settlement with Google that resolved a lawsuit over the company’s anticompetitive practices. The settlement was secured by Attorney General Schwalb and a coalition of 52 other attorneys general following allegations that Google unfairly and illegally restricted competition for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing, limiting choices for customers and driving up prices.
The court preliminarily approved the settlement on November 20, 2025, triggering the court’s notice and approval process. If the court grants final approval of the settlement at a hearing on April 30, 2026, the majority of the settlement funds will be distributed to residents who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive conduct. Google will also make changes to stop its anticompetitive practices that harmed customers and app developers.
“This settlement puts money back into the pockets of tens of millions of Android users who were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices—including thousands of DC residents,” said Attorney General Brian Schwalb. “Most people should receive payment automatically in 2026 through either Venmo or PayPal. Residents who believe they were impacted but do not have Venmo or PayPal, or who no longer have access to the email address or phone number linked to their Google Play account, should sign up online to be notified about claims process updates.”
Beginning December 2, 2025, DC residents who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices began receiving notices about the distribution process for the settlement funds. Most affected residents do not need to take further action to receive a payment from the settlement fund. The settlement fund will make the majority of payments automatically, and no claim form is necessary in most cases.
Once the settlement receives final approval by the court, residents will receive an email from PayPal or a text from Venmo notifying them of their incoming payment at the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then the payment will be made directly to that account. If that email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then residents have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number.
There will be a supplemental claims process after the automatic payments process is complete for residents who either:
Do not have an existing PayPal or Venmo account and do not want to sign up for PayPal or Venmo;
No longer have access to the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account; or
Were expecting to receive a payment but did not.
District residents—or those who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 while District residents—who would like to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process starts may submit their name, email address, and mobile phone number on the settlement website: www.googleplaystateagantitrustlitigation.com. Questions about the automatic or supplemental claims processes should be directed to the Notice Administrator at 1-866-905-8127 or info@GooglePlayStateAGAntitrustLitigation.com.
Attorney General Schwalb encourages all affected residents to keep track of important upcoming dates in the settlement approval process:
Residents who do not want to receive payment from the settlement fund and want to bring their own case against Google must submit a request to be excluded online or in writing by February 19, 2026.
Residents who want to object to the settlement can file a written objection by February 19, 2026.
The court will hold a hearing on April 30, 2026, to consider whether to approve the settlement.
Joining AG Schwalb in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.