How to declare a news and magazine app

These new requirements help to promote trust in the Google Play ecosystem by keeping Google Play secure for developers and users.

Increased transparency about a news and magazine entity’s content, ownership and editorial structures are considered best practice for a trusted media ecosystem.

The News and Magazine policy applies to all apps that:

• are currently listed under the “News and Magazine” category on Google Play,
• describe themselves as "news" and/or “magazines”,
• use key attributes associated with the “News and Magazine” app category (for example, app titles, icons, or developer name).

This policy also covers news and/or magazine aggregators as well as news and/or magazine apps whose content is generated by AI.

The short questionnaire covers best-practice questions to increase basic app-level information. All in-scope apps must provide the following information:

• contact and parent entity information; and
• the type of parent entity (such as, public/state media, commercial/private media, etc.,).

In addition, you may be asked for additional information about your app, including:

• the main focus of in-app content,
• industry and association membership and affiliations, and
• editorial guidelines, awards and recognition.

These questions reflect best-practice questions from media and journalism industry standards.

All apps on Play - including news and magazine apps - must provide their developer account information in Play Console. This includes information about an app’s legal entity.

For the news and magazine declaration, developers are asked to confirm if:

• they are completing this declaration for the same developer account’s legal entity that was previously declared on Play Console.
• they are completing this declaration for a different legal entity than was previously declared on Play Console.

Google Play recognizes that many developers may be producing related apps for other entities than their own entity.

If your app provides news and/or magazine content for a different entity than you have previously declared in Console, you must list this name as the legal entity in your declaration.

• Example: Developer X produces different apps, including for Magazine App 123, which is owned by Company Y. Since this entity is different from the legal entity that Developer X has previously declared in Console, it must list Company Y on the news and magazine declaration as the entity for which it has produced Magazine App 123.

All in-scope news and magazine apps are required to select which type of entity best describes them.

There are four choices and definitions provided for each type. These definitions are based on established international classifications from the United Nations (UN).

Select the option that best corresponds to the app’s legal entity you are declaring on behalf of:

• Public/state: Media entity that has been established by a statutory body and is funded directly by a government, or by citizen-paid license fees, and/or advertisements.
• Commercial/private: Media entity that is owned and operated by private companies or individuals for financial profit. These may be registered in one or more countries.
• Community/not-for-profit: Media entity that is owned and operated by and for a community and / or not-for-profit organization. These entities are non-commercial and considered independently- owned and -managed.
• Other (please describe): Media entity that is not described by any of the definitions provided above. If you select “other,” describe your type of media entity.

Apps should be declared as an "aggregator" only if all or the majority of in-app content is from third party sources.

Aggregators (news, magazine, etc.,) are any media entity that aggregates digital content (text, audio, video, etc.,) from different third-party media sources.

If you have an AI-generated news and/or magazine aggregator app, please also be sure to declare it as an aggregator (if your content is coming from multiple sources).

If your app is producing its own news and/or magazine content, in addition to any third party and/or aggregated content, then you do not need to declare it as an aggregator.

As an aggregator, there are specific policy requirements that must be met: aggregator apps must provide users with clear information about the publishing sources of third-party content.

Developers are asked to describe the main type of in-app content provided.

Developers should select from the following list (check all that apply). Note: Choose the content that is predominantly featured in your app and/or which has separate clearly labelled sections.

• Business
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about business (global and/or local): such as, content about companies, specific industries and/or technology, economic analysis and trends, etc.
• Education and research
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about education and research (global and/or local): such as, content related to academic, educational, research, university and/or other institutions.
• Entertainment
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about entertainment (global and/or local): such as, content about music, film, theater, online platforms and/or other entertainment industries.
• Finance
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about finance (global and/or local): such as,. content about money, investments, markets, etc.
• Food and drink
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about food and drink (global and/or local): such as, content about innovation, recipes, restaurants/bars, technology, trends, wellness, etc.
• Lifestyle and fashion
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about lifestyle and fashion (global and/or local): such as, content about fashion, beauty, design, art and architecture, shopping and products, etc.
• News and current affairs
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about news and current affairs: such as, local, municipal, regional, state, national and/or international. Note that news and current affairs generally include content about developments on politics, the economy and society.
• Organizational
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about relevant organizations (global and/or local): such as, content about news and updates, training and development, employment, insights and trends, etc.
    • Note: Organizations can include those related to: alumni, corporate, not-for-profit, religious, recreational and hobby, cultural, fraternal, union and labor entities, sectors and industries, among others.
• Science and technology
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about science and technology (global and/or local): such as, content about new discoveries, inventions, research and technological advancements and developments, etc.
• Sports
  • This includes news and/or magazine content (global and/or local) about sports: such as, content about scores, game highlights, breaking news, sports leagues and teams, etc.
• Trade and professional
  Note: Trade and professional associations can include those related to: agriculture and farming, tech, finance, healthcare, law, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, among others
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about trade and/or professional entities (global and/or local): such as, content about new products and technologies, regulatory changes, market trends, industry events and conferences, associations, employment and education, etc.
• Travel
  • This includes news and/or magazine content about travel (global and/or local): such as, content related to destinations, travel tips, cultural experiences, activities, etc.
• Other
  • This includes news and/or magazine content that does not fit into one of the other categories shared above. Provide further information about the main type of content provided in your app if it does match to one of the other options.

Developers are asked to share any app-related YouTube channels for your news and/or magazine apps.

These channels refer to similarly branded content that is also available in your branded app. Please provide all URLs that apply.

If you do not have any YouTube channels which directly represent your app, select “no”.

Note: there is no need to provide other YouTube channels that are not directly related to your app and brand.

For any YouTube channels shared on the declaration, you are welcome to add these to the metadata of your store listing to better connect with your users.

Editorial guidelines and standards are not required for news and magazine apps to be on the Play Store.

However, your app is welcome to declare these standards if your app or legal entity: 1) has adopted them and 2) the related documentation is publicly available.

Simply provide the URL link where such guidelines or standards can be found.

If your app and your legal entity each have their own editorial standards, it is best to share the one for your app.

You may also add the link that you have shared to the metadata of your store listing to share with your users.

Journalistic standards and initiatives are created and led by journalists and media. These can be joined by relevant journalistic and media entities.

If your app or legal entity is not part of such initiatives, you can simply select “no”. An app’s involvement in such initiatives is not a requirement for being on the Play store.

If you are part of such standards or initiatives, you are welcome to declare this information.

These standards can be global that journalists and related entities - including news and magazine entities - have adopted.

They can also be nationally- or regionally-agreed standards, such as those adopted by news and press associations for their members.

If your app or legal entity is a part of such standards, please feel welcome to share and include the relevant URL link(s) to them.

You can also add these links to the metadata of your store listing to share this information with your users.

There are a range of local, national, regional and global initiatives that recognize and award news and magazine entities.

If your app or legal entity has not received any recognition or awards, you can simply declare “no”. Receiving recognition or an award is not a requirement for being on the Play store.

If you have received recognition or awards, please feel welcome to share and include any relevant URLs links about your app’s recognition and/or awards.

You can also add these links to the metadata of your store listing to share this information with your users.

All in-scope apps will be given advance notice for the need to complete the declaration in order to be policy compliant.

If you still have not completed the declaration, you will be unable to send any app updates or changes for review until it is submitted.

All in-scope apps that meet the criteria will be prompted to complete the declaration in Play Console.

Alternatively:

1. Open Play Console and go to the App content page (Policy > App content).
2. Under "News and magazine apps," select Start declaration.
3. Respond to all the questions
4. Provide any additional documentation you want to share.
5. After responding to all the questions, click Next.
6. If you're ready to submit your completed declaration, select Save.
   1. If you want to go back and change something, you can select Back to amend your answers.
   2. If you're not sure about something, you can select Save as draft and return to the form later.
   3. If you select Discard changes, you'll need to start the form again.

Please note that all questions, unless marked as optional, must be answered. All responses should reflect what is relevant for your app.

The declaration will be connected with your app. If any information changes, please do resubmit the relevant changes.

Please note that each app that is in-scope of the declaration must have a separate declaration submitted (even if they are from the same developer). This is the same process that Play requires for all declarations that developers submit.