Google Android Cellular Data Class Action Settlement ($135 Million)
Google Android Cellular Data Class Action Settlement
Google agreed to a $135 million settlement over allegations that Android mobile devices transferred a variety of information to Google without users' permission, consuming users' cellular data. Anyone in the United States who used a mobile device running the Android operating system to access the internet over a cellular data network at any time from November 12, 2017 to the date the Settlement receives final approval may be a class member, except California residents who are part of the parallel Csupo v. Google LLC case. There is no claim form, but class members are encouraged to select a payment method on the official site to make sure their share reaches them.
Settlement fund
$135M
Common fund
Top payout
Up to $100
Equal share + post-distribution cap
Claim deadline
May 29, 2026
23 days remaining
You may be owed money
Filing is free and takes a few minutes. Deadline: May 29, 2026.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You are a natural person in the United States.
- You used a mobile device running the Android operating system to access the internet through a cellular data network operated by a mobile carrier at any time from November 12, 2017 to the date the Settlement receives final approval.
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No claim form is required to be a class member. To make sure your payment is sent to the correct digital account, the Settlement Administrator asks class members to select a preferred payment method on the official site:
federalcellularclassaction.com/payment-election - Excluded: Class Members in Csupo v. Google LLC, Santa Clara County Superior Court, No. 19CV352557, a parallel case involving California residents.
- Excluded: Google and Google's subsidiaries and affiliates, officers, and directors; the judges assigned to this case and their immediate families; Settlement Class Counsel; and anyone who excludes themselves from the Settlement Class.
Not sure if you qualify, or want more information? Call the Settlement Administrator toll-free at 1-844-655-4255, email Info@FederalCellularClassAction.com, or use the contact form on the official settlement site.
What happened
Plaintiffs Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson filed a class action against Google LLC alleging that Google's Android operating system causes Android mobile devices to transfer a variety of information to Google without users' permission, consuming users' cellular data. The plaintiffs allege that some of these transfers happen in the background even when devices are completely idle, with all apps closed, and that Google could have limited the transfers to Wi-Fi but instead allowed them to take place over cellular networks. Plaintiffs allege that this unauthorized use of cellular data violates the law and entitles class members to compensation for the value of the data Google used.
Google denies the claims in this Lawsuit and denies that it did anything wrong. The Court has not made any determination on the plaintiffs' allegations. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the cost, risk, and time of continued litigation. As part of the Settlement, Google will pay $135 million and will update the Google Play Terms of Service, a page in Google's Help Center, and the setup screens shown to Android users during device setup so that they disclose the conduct at issue and ask users to consent to it. Google will also disable a related setting on Android devices.
How to file a claim
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1
Confirm you are eligible
You qualify if you are a natural person in the United States who used an Android mobile device on a cellular data plan at any time from November 12, 2017 to the date the Settlement receives final approval, and you are not a class member in Csupo v. Google LLC, the parallel California case.
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2
Understand the payout
There are approximately 100 million Settlement Class Members. The Settlement Administrator will try to pay each class member roughly the same amount from the $135 million Settlement Fund after notice and administration costs, taxes, and any Court-approved attorneys' fees, costs, and service awards. Per-member payments are expected to be modest. Any funds left over after distribution will be redistributed pro rata to class members who were already paid successfully, capped at $100 per class member, and any remaining amount goes to a Court-approved organization. No funds return to Google.
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3
Select a payment method
There is no claim form for this Settlement. Every Settlement Class Member who does not opt out will be issued a payment automatically. To make sure the payment reaches you, select a preferred digital payment method on the Payment Election Form at federalcellularclassaction.com. Only one Payment Election Form may be submitted per person. If you used multiple email addresses on your Android account, submit a single form with your preferred current email so the Administrator can de-duplicate. For questions, contact the Settlement Administrator at federalcellularclassaction.com/contact-us.
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4
Receive your payment
Payments are issued after the Court grants final approval at the June 23, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and any appeals are resolved. The appeal process can take a year or more. No follow-up is required once you have selected a payment method.
Key dates
- May 29, 2026 Opt-out & objection deadline Upcoming
- May 29, 2026 Claim filing deadline Upcoming
- Jun 23, 2026 Final Fairness Hearing (10:00 a.m. PT, in person) Upcoming
- TBD after final approval Payments issued to claimants Pending
The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT before the Honorable Virginia K. DeMarchi at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 280 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113. The Court may move the hearing to a different date or time without additional notice, so check FederalCellularClassAction.com for updates before traveling. The May 29, 2026 deadline applies to opt-out (exclusion) requests, written objections, and Notices of Intention to Appear.
Where the money is going
This is a non-reversionary common fund. Attorneys' fees, expenses, service awards to the three Class Representatives, and notice and administration costs come out of the $135 million before payments are calculated for class members. No funds return to Google.
All amounts above are pending and subject to final court approval at the Final Approval Hearing. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. With approximately 100 million class members, per-person payments are expected to be modest, and unsuccessful payment attempts may free up funds that are redistributed up to a $100 per-member cap.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
Per-member payments depend on how many class members are successfully paid. The Settlement Administrator will try to pay each class member roughly the same amount from the $135 million fund after attorneys' fees, costs, service awards, taxes, and notice and administration costs. With approximately 100 million class members, baseline per-person payments are expected to be modest. If there are funds left over after distribution and it is economically feasible to redistribute them, eligible class members who were already paid successfully receive a pro rata share, capped at $100 per class member.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
No proof of purchase or device ownership is required. The Settlement Administrator does not ask for receipts, IMEIs, carrier records, or screenshots. The Notice and FAQ on the official site set no documentation requirement. Class members are simply asked to select a preferred payment method on the Payment Election Form so the Administrator can deliver the payment to the correct digital account.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
You can still receive a payment even if you did not get a direct notice. Notice in this case was distributed by publication and online, and the class is identified at the household level rather than from a Google customer list. If you used an Android phone or tablet on a cellular data plan in the United States between November 12, 2017 and the date of final approval, and you are not part of the parallel Csupo v. Google LLC California case, you are likely a class member. To make sure the Settlement Administrator can reach you, complete the Payment Election Form at federalcellularclassaction.com/payment-election or contact the Administrator toll-free at 1-844-655-4255.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
Yes. Unless you exclude yourself by mailing a personally signed exclusion letter postmarked by May 29, 2026, you will be bound by the Settlement and you will release the legal claims at issue in this lawsuit against Google and the other Released Parties. That means you cannot separately sue Google about the same alleged unauthorized cellular data transfers. To opt out, mail a signed letter (no electronic signatures) including your full name, current address and telephone number, a clear statement that you want to be excluded, and the case name and number to: Federal Cellular Class Action, ATTN: OPT OUTS, P.O. Box 58220, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Excluding yourself means you will not receive a payment.
When will payments be sent out?
The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on June 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT before Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi in San Jose, California. Payments will only be issued after the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The appeal process can take a year or more. The most useful action you can take now is to select a payment method at federalcellularclassaction.com/payment-election so the Administrator can deliver your share when the time comes.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this settlement and is not affiliated with Google LLC, Angeion Group (the Settlement Administrator), or Class Counsel Marc A. Wallenstein of Korein Tillery LLC and Glen E. Summers of Bartlit Beck LLP. The case is Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson v. Google LLC, Case No. 5:20-cv-07956-VKD, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division before the Honorable Virginia K. DeMarchi. Class representatives are Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson. Google denies wrongdoing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.