Google Play Is Sick of Annoying Ads, Too

Google Play is implementing new advertising rules that should make in-app ads less irritating.

There are ways to limit the ads you have to deal with in your Android web browser, but managing ads for individual apps can be a lot trickier. While these often intrusive elements aren't going to be disappearing entirely, Google Play is in the process of making them less annoying.

Inspired by Better Ads Standards for mobile platforms, the new rules aim to crack down on full-screen ads that appear in games and other Android apps. These ads will not be permitted to pop-up when the user is doing something else (i.e., appearing right at the start of a game's level or beginning of a video). They also won't be allowed to show up right before a game's loading screen.

Full-screen ads running longer than 15 seconds that can't be closed are being axed, too. Though ads that have been opted into or otherwise don't interrupt users (i.e., after viewing a game's score screen) are allowed to go past 15 seconds.

It's important to note that these rules do not apply to all types of ads, though. For example, banner ads (which aren't full-screen), ads integrated into a video, or ads that don't interfere with usage aren't being restricted. And of course, any ads that users opt into, like ads you can watch to earn in-game rewards, are also not affected.

These new ad rules will go into effect starting September 30, 2022, and will apply to all new and existing apps.