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up vote 10 down vote favorite

Let's say I paid for an app, and after some time there is an update for this app.

  • Is this update free? Will all future updates be free?
  • Or do I have to pay some fixed % of the current price of the app?
  • If it can be either, is it up to the developer?
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2 Answers

up vote 11 down vote accepted

According to the Google Play Business and Program Policies, you may re-install any app you have purchased, unlimited. (also if the app has been updated since you bought it).

Based on my experience it works like that indeed: I have updated and re-installed paid apps without any issue. Please note that the re-install/update also works on any other android device that uses the same Google account.

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Thank you for pointing out this policy, however for me it is not precise, because reinstalling app is something different than updating it. Thank you from pointing out your experience! – greenoldman Oct 12 '12 at 11:27
You pay only for current version of an app which you can use on any no. of devices. Update of app may not be free. – Sachin Shekhar Oct 12 '12 at 14:53
4  
@SachinShekhar When you pay for an app (Splashtop for example) you will always be able to get updates for free for Splashtop, since it was paid for. However, the developer released a different "upgraded" app (Splashtop 2). If I wanted those upgrades, I would have to purchase Splashtop 2. It is technically an "upgraded" version of Splashtop, but was released as a different app. So as long as it is the same app, you are not charged for updates; if they change apps you will have to purchase the new one. – Dylan Yaga Oct 12 '12 at 15:03
@Dylan I am talking about the purchased app update. Go read TOS and T&C. Generally, developers don't use this feature, so we don't have examples. – Sachin Shekhar Oct 12 '12 at 15:27
4  
@SachinShekhar do you have a URL for the TOS? – Dylan Yaga Oct 12 '12 at 18:13
up vote 6 down vote

When you download an app (whether free or paid) it is tied to your Google account so you can get all updates for this app as long as the developer is maintaining it.

Every app has a package name. This can be something like 

com.touchtype.swiftkey

This is the package name for SwiftKey. If you buy it*, the app is tied to your Google account. You can download it any time on any number of devices that are linked to your Google account and as I said above all updates are free. In case of SwiftKey we already recieved two mayor updates (X and 3). If the guys at Touchtype decided that they wanted more money from us they couldn't make use pay for updates for this app. There are however two options that they could take: make new features available as in-app purchases or release a new app, with a different package name.

* You should. It's awesome.

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3  
Swiftkey is indeed a great keyboard. – MDeSchaepmeester Oct 12 '12 at 22:12

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