Google has agreed to a $135 million settlement in Taylor v. Google LLC, a federal class action alleging that Android devices used consumers’ cellular data for background transfers without their permission. Google denies wrongdoing, and the agreement remains subject to final court approval.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted preliminary approval on March 5, 2026. As of May 14, a final approval hearing was scheduled for June 23, with objections and exclusion requests due May 29.
The plaintiffs alleged that Android devices exchanged information with Google in the background, including while devices were idle and apps were not being used. Their claim concerns the consumption of cellular data they had purchased from mobile carriers. Google maintains that the challenged transfers support device functionality and security and disputes that they injured users.
Eligibility and potential payments
The settlement class covers individuals in the United States who used an Android mobile device to access the internet through a mobile carrier’s cellular network from November 12, 2017, through the date of the court’s final approval order, if granted.
Members of Csupo v. Google LLC, a separate case involving California residents, are excluded. The exclusion depends on membership in that class, rather than a blanket exclusion of everyone currently living in California.
The $135 million fund would pay court-approved attorneys’ fees, litigation costs and expenses, service awards to the class representatives, and settlement administration expenses. The remaining money would be distributed proportionally to class members under the settlement plan.
Individual payments are capped at $100. The preliminary approval order records that the plaintiffs’ lawyers do not expect payments to reach that limit. The final payment amount remains undetermined and depends on the net fund available for distribution under the plan.
Payment arrangements and deadlines
The preliminary approval order states that class members will not be required to submit a claim form. Members can select an electronic payment method from the available options.
For members who make no selection, or whose selected payment method fails, settlement administrator Angeion Group would attempt automatic payments through Zelle, PayPal or Venmo using information from Google. An attempted payment does not guarantee successful delivery.
May 29, 2026, is the deadline for class members to submit objections or requests to exclude themselves. Members who remain in the settlement would release the claims covered by the agreement.
The June 23 hearing is scheduled for the court to consider final approval. Distribution of settlement funds would follow final approval and completion of the conditions specified in the agreement; the hearing is not a payment date.
Changes to disclosures and Android settings
The settlement also requires Google to revise its Google Play terms of service, a Google Play services Help Center page and screens shown during setup of new Android devices. The changes would disclose background cellular communications and obtain users’ express consent during setup.
The disclosures would explain that some communications occur when users are not interacting with their devices, including while screens are locked, and that some communications cannot be turned off.
The agreement requires Google to take technically feasible steps to deactivate, or gray out, the Google Play services mobile background data toggle. The plaintiffs said the control had not disabled the transfers challenged in the lawsuit and could give users a false impression that those transfers could be stopped.
