Google’s Play Store Policy Shift & GitHub 2020 Insights: What Developers Need to Know

Google Enforces New Play Store Payment Rule

Starting in 2021, Google will require developers publishing Android apps on Google Play to use Google’s payment system for in‑app purchases, taking a 30% commission and prohibiting alternative payment methods. Developers have until September 30, 2021, to comply. Google notes that less than 3% of developers previously sold digital goods, with about 97% already following the payment policy, highlighting a move that mirrors Apple’s 30% “Apple tax.”

GitHub 2020 Annual Report Highlights

The 2020 GitHub report, based on data from October 2019 to September 2020, shows the platform surpassing 56 million developers, up from 40 million the previous year, and projects reaching 100 million by 2025. JavaScript remains the top language, Python holds second place, and TypeScript climbs to fourth, overtaking C#, PHP, and C++.

Geographically, the top three regions are North America (34%), Asia (30.7%), and Europe (26.8%). Open‑source contributions from the United States have fallen to 22.7%, while China (9.76%) and India (5.2%) are rising contributors.

The COVID‑19 pandemic spurred a 40% increase in open‑source project creation and higher overall activity, with developers shifting more effort to open‑source work, especially on weekends and holidays. GitHub suggests companies allow time for learning and external projects to support this trend.