You might receive an email regarding last date to update your app to Google Play Billing Library 4 or later by Nov 1, you might also see a similar reminder alert at android developer site when you visit Google Play billing system which says:

Reminder: Starting on August 2, 2022, all new apps must use Billing Library version 4 or newer. By November 1, 2022, all updates to existing apps must use Billing Library version 4 or newer. Learn more.

So one of main issue the developer might face when he is managing multiple clients and account with multiple apps is find out exactly which app is going to effect, because i several of my clients ed me in panic after getting this email as they were unable to find which app is causing the issue. That is why i am writing this post to help similar people.

Google had announced back in August 2022, about deprecation the Play Store Billing version 3, and instructs developers to update their Billing Library by 1 November, 2022.

Contents

• Find depreciated Applications
• Frequently Asked Questions
  

 Find depreciated Applications

I am going to explain step-by-step instruction how you can find app that are using old Google Play Billing or later than 4 by what i mean. Our goal here is to find apk or app that is triggering that warning.

 Methods

1. Find through Android Studio 
2. Find in Google Play Console
   
   

1- Find through Android Studio 

    Open your android project in Android Studio, and Open your project AndroidManifest.xml file and search for permission com.android.vending.BILLING  also open buid.gradle for your project and make sure version for Play Billing Library should be greater than 4.0.0

You have to repeat this procedure for every application that you have published on Google Play Store to find out depreciated Google Play Billing Library

2- Find through Google Play Console

To find application that is using billing you have to access your Google Play Store account then have to do the below actions for all apps one by one to find the effected app.

1. Select App Apps from the left menu
2. Select App that you want to Check
3. Once you are in App Dashboard select App Bundle Explorer
4. Choose Active release of your application by clicking the -> arrow button
5. In the detail tab scroll down to the permissions  and click Show Detail option which have  chevron down icon with it.
6. In permission list check for com.android.vending.BILLING  and if you find it, thats means might be the app you are searching for.
   
   NOTE: if you have multiple apps using Play Store Billing Library you might repeat the above procedure to find that app as well.
   
   
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Which is the version of Play Billing Library is expiring?

Answer:  Play Billing Library 3

Question: When Google announced depreciation of Play Billing Library 3?

Answer:  On 02, August 2022

Question: Until when i can upgrade Play Billing Library 3?

Question: How long support is provided for Play Billing Library?

Answer:  For major released Google continue support it for 2 years

Question: What are current Play Billing Library version that i upgrade to?

Answer:  You can upgrade your Play Billing Library 4 or  5 . Version 4 will be supported for up-to 2024 and version 5 till 2025

Additional Resources

• Integrate the Google Play Billing Library into your app
• Deprecation FAQ
• Google Play Billing Samples on Github