Google Officially Extends Refund Window for Android Apps to 2 Hours

There is nothing worse than paying to download what you think is going to be the best game or greatest app of all time only to find out you absolutely can't stand it. In the past with apps from Google Play you've had to make your decisions and uninstall that app quickly so you'd receive your refund. Thankfully Google has now decided to allow you to take your time in deciding if you like an Android app or not.

Google generally allows users a short 15 minute testing window to decide if that impulse buy, or random recommendation from a friend, was worthy of being added to your app collection or not. However, over the past month or two Google has slowly been extending that testing period. Now Google has officially updated its Google Play support page to fully extend that time to a two-hour refund window.

To get a refund for an app you don't like, open the Google Play Store app on your mobile device, touch the Play Store icon and select My Apps, then select the app or game you want to return and look for the Refund option. If the two-hour refund window has not yet passed, Open and Refund buttons will be displayed. If a Refund button is not displayed, your purchase is not eligible for return.

The one caveat is: this only works once per app. So, if you previously paid for and downloaded an app you didn't like and already received a refund, and choose to re-download it at a later date, you won't be able to return it.

Great news for those pesky geeks like us that like to test out a lot of different apps but also have impeccable taste. Also good news for you gamers out there that like to test out some of the latest games before making the full purchase.