Ads and in-app purchases on Google Play: what the flags mean

How Google Play labels ads and in-app purchases, what the labels promise, and how to filter on them.

Two labels on every listing

Google Play shows “Contains ads” and “In-app purchases” under the install button. Developers declare both in the Play Console, and the store shows the label for as long as the declaration says so.

What they promise

• Contains ads means the app shows ads from any network, including its own promotions.
• In-app purchases covers anything bought inside: subscriptions, items, unlocking a full version. The listing often shows a price range per item.

Filtering on them

The API returns both as pricing.contains_ads and pricing.offers_iap, and /search filters on them with ads=true|false and iap=true|false. Combine them with free=true to find apps that cost nothing in any way.

Caveat

The labels are self-declared. An app may add ads in an update before the label changes, so treat them as the developer’s statement, refreshed every night.