Google Play testing ‘Free trial & install’ button to bundle Android app download with IAP

Abner Li | Jun 17 2020 - 2:00 pm PT

Alongside the Android 11 Beta last week, Google shared a number of announcements for app developers. One related to in-app purchases and billing sees Google Play test a “Free trial & install button” that both downloads an app and starts a trial.

As spotted by TechCrunch today, some apps in the Play Store feature a green “Free trial & install” button. To the left is a regular “Install” button and underneath is a new card highlighting the in-app purchase being offered.

In the case of Truecaller, it’s for a “Yearly Premium” with Google Play providing the description underneath. Other provided information includes the trial length and how much it will cost afterward. There is another “Free trial & install” button at the bottom.

This test is part of Google giving users more places to “discover and purchase items outside of your app.” The goal is to reduce the “effort required for users to get going.” This allows you to start using an app with its full set of capabilities from install for a more seamless experience.

One example is the new frictionless subscription promo code redemption experience. Now when you offer promo codes for subscription free trials, users can easily redeem them in the Play store – even if your app isn’t installed yet.

So far, this “Free trial & install” button in Google Play is only available for a “limited set of developers.” The broader Billing Library version 3 also lets you pay with cash in countries that support this infrastructure. The new release will be required for new apps in August of next year, while existing ones have to be updated by November 2021.