Technical guide
Google Play Integrity API: What It Is & Pricing
Updated:
The 3 Play Integrity verdicts explained with examples (MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITY and more), when to require it without blocking real testers and how to verify the token.
Short definition
Play Integrity API lets your backend assess the environment where your Play-distributed Android app runs — device, install integrity and more, per your Play Console setup. It is Google's attestation layer for apps distributed through Play; verdicts are meant to be checked server-side, not trusted from the client alone.
Why publishers use it in beta campaigns
Paid or quota-driven testing attracts abuse: emulators, rooted devices, or people who install once and never play. Integrity does not replace session/event rules — it adds a trust signal that the install environment looks legitimate before you count the assignment as complete.
- High-value soft launches where fraud would waste budget.
- Builds that must stay off unofficial sideloads.
- Campaigns where telemetry alone is not enough evidence of a real device.
The three Play Integrity verdicts
Decoding a Play Integrity token on your server returns three independent verdict blocks:
- Device integrity — whether the device meets Android compatibility standards and isn't rooted or tampered with.
MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITYis the highest tier;MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITYis a weaker environment (can include Google-certified emulators);MEETS_STRONG_INTEGRITYadds hardware-backed certification. - App integrity — whether the running APK/AAB matches what you published on Play and hasn't been modified or redistributed outside your official channel.
- Account details —
LICENSEDif the Google account running the app has a Play licensing entitlement (installed from Play or an authorized channel), orUNLICENSEDotherwise.
For tester campaigns, requiring at least MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITY + LICENSED is typical; reserve MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITY for high fraud-risk campaigns (large cash rewards, real-money apps).
Standard API vs Classic API
Google offers two ways to request a verdict: the Standard API (recommended since 2023, faster, with local caching) and the Classic API (one network call per check, being phased out). For a new integration in 2026, use the Standard API unless you already have Classic implemented and working.
Common implementation mistakes
- Treating a
MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITYverdict as a failure — it isn't; it just signals a lower trust tier (common on Google-certified emulators used by legitimate testers). - Checking the token only on the client. Verdicts must be decoded and their signature validated on your server; trusting a boolean returned by the client itself defeats the protection.
- Not validating the
requestHash/ nonce against the one your backend generated — without that check, a valid token from another session can be replayed. - Hard-blocking testers on rooted devices or outdated Play Store versions with no fallback: for testing campaigns (unlike real-money production), logging the verdict and deciding case-by-case usually beats an automatic rejection.
How much does Play Integrity API cost? Pricing and quotas
Play Integrity API is free: Google offers it at no charge to any app published through Play Console. What does exist is a usage quota: by default, 10,000 requests per day per app (for both the standard and the classic API). If your app needs more, you request an increase from Play Console and Google grants it based on real install volume, without charging for it. When you read "Play Integrity pricing" or "Play Integrity cost" elsewhere, it almost always refers to the cost of integrating it (development hours plus a backend that verifies the verdict), not a Google fee.
- API price: $0. No plans or paid tiers.
- Default quota: 10,000 requests/day per app; higher on request in Play Console.
- Real cost: integrating the call in your app and verifying the token server-side. On Tester Marketplace that verification is already built: enabling Play Integrity in a campaign adds nothing to the campaign price.
Inside Tester Marketplace
- Publishers can require a recent attestation to complete an assignment.
- The publisher dashboard includes an assistant to invite the service account in Play Console and verify with a real token.
- Testers see in their progress when a token is required.
- Decode & tracking endpoints live on Tester Marketplace; your studio still owns Play Console linkage and the in-app Integrity request.
Who does what
Google runs the API on device. Tester Marketplace hosts decode & tracking endpoints. Your studio invites the service account email we provide in the assistant, integrates Play Integrity in the build testers install, and posts tokens to the campaign API — a common B2B pattern. Testers only need a compatible real Android device; they do not configure Play Console.
When not to require it
If you only need to fill a closed-testing quota once and trust your invite list, Integrity may be overkill. Start with measurable sessions/events; turn Integrity on when fraud or device trust becomes the bottleneck. See also when to require Integrity in campaigns.
FAQ
- Play Integrity API? Google API to assess app environment (device/install) server-side.
- Play Console app integrity? Settings and signals tied to Integrity for trusted vs altered environments.
- Play Integrity pricing? Google runs the service; campaign budgets on TM are set by the publisher — see pricing.
- When to require it? High fraud risk or high-trust builds; optional for low-risk quotas.
Related: Play Integrity API, Android attestation, anti-fraud beta testing, Google Play integrity, publishers guide, hire Android testers.