Google's $135M Android Cellular Data Settlement: Select Your Payment Method

Google has agreed to pay $135 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging its Android operating system secretly consumed users’ cellular data without permission. No claim form is required — eligible class members will receive payment automatically. However, you should select your preferred payment method on the Payment Election Form to make sure it reaches you.

About the Google Settlement

The lawsuit, Taylor v. Google LLC (Case No. 5:20-cv-07956-VKD), was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson alleged that Android devices were quietly sending data back to Google in the background, even when the phone was idle, all apps were closed, and a Wi-Fi connection was available. For full case details, visit the official settlement website.

The core complaint: Google was using up people’s cellular data allowances without asking. Plaintiffs argued that amounted to unauthorized use of something they were paying for, and that Google owed them compensation for it.

The case covers roughly 100 million Android users across the United States who used cellular data at any point from November 12, 2017 onward. That’s a large class.

Google denies all wrongdoing and the court has made no ruling on the merits. Both sides agreed to resolve the matter rather than go to trial.

As part of this privacy class action settlement, Google will pay $135,000,000 and will update its Google Play Terms of Service, Help Center, and Android device setup screens to disclose the conduct at issue and obtain user consent. Google will also disable a related setting on Android devices.

Court records identify this case as Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Google LLC, Case No. 5:20-cv-07956-VKD, United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

Eligibility: Who Gets a Payment?

Class members in this Google settlement include individuals who meet the following conditions:

• Are a natural person residing in the United States
• Used a mobile device running the Android operating system to access the internet through a cellular data network
• Did so at any time from November 12, 2017 to the date the settlement receives final approval

This is a nationwide settlement, so where you live does not affect your eligibility.

One exception: California residents who are already class members in a parallel state case, Csupo v. Google LLC (Santa Clara County Superior Court, No. 19CV352557), are excluded from this one.

No receipts or documentation are needed. The settlement administrator will handle distribution automatically based on existing records.

For the complete eligibility breakdown, visit the full Google Android Cellular Data Privacy Settlement page.

How to Get Paid

This is an automatic distribution settlement, which means you don’t need to file a claim. All eligible class members who don’t opt out will receive a payment.

However, you should select your preferred payment method to make sure your payment reaches you. Visit the Payment Election Form and choose how you’d like to be paid (e.g., direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, or check).

If you don’t select a payment method, the settlement administrator will still attempt to send your payment automatically — but you run the risk of not receiving it if those attempts are unsuccessful.

Selecting a payment method takes about a minute and is the single most important thing you can do to make sure you get paid.

Breaking Down the Settlement Amount

The total settlement fund is $135,000,000. What individual class members actually receive will vary based on how many people qualify and the settlement’s distribution formula.

Before anything reaches class members, the fund covers attorneys’ fees of up to 29.5% of the settlement amount, expense reimbursements of up to approximately $750,000, notice and administration costs, service awards to the class representatives, and taxes incurred by the Settlement Fund.

That’s standard practice in class action cases, and worth keeping in mind when thinking about the per-person payout.

Attorney fees in class actions typically run 25% to 33% of the total fund (FRCP Rule 23(h)). Check the Google Android Cellular Data Privacy Settlement page for the latest payout estimates.

Important Settlement Details

Class action settlements require final court approval before any payments go out (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23). If the court hasn’t yet granted final approval, the terms could still change before distribution.

Once the case wraps up, expect roughly 6 to 12 months before payments actually arrive. That window gives the administrator time to process everything, handle any objections, and get the court’s sign-off on distribution.

How Payments Will Be Distributed

This is an automatic distribution settlement. Eligible Android users don’t need to submit a claim to receive a payment. The settlement administrator, Angeion Group, will identify qualifying class members through existing records and send payments directly.

That said, selecting a payment method is strongly recommended. According to the settlement terms, if you don’t select one, the administrator will still try to send your payment — but if those attempts fail, you may not receive it. Visit the Payment Election Form to choose your preferred method.

For full details on the payment process and timeline, visit the Google Android Cellular Data Privacy Settlement page. And if you’re curious how no-proof automatic settlements like this one work in practice, this explainer breaks it down.

Key Dates for This Settlement

The opt-out deadline for this settlement is May 29, 2026.

Since this is an automatic distribution settlement, you do not need to file a claim by any deadline. However, you should select your payment method before the deadline to ensure delivery.

The date above applies to class members who wish to opt out or object to the settlement terms. If you take no action, you will remain in the class and a payment will be attempted — but choosing a payment method significantly improves your chances of actually receiving it.

Want to understand what opting out actually means before that date? Here’s a plain-English breakdown of how the opt-out process works.

Who Is the Settlement Administrator?

The settlement administrator for this case (Case No. 5:20-cv-07956-VKD) is Angeion Group. You can reach them by phone at 1-844-655-4255 or email at Info@FederalCellularClassAction.com.

Mailing address:
Federal Cellular Class Action
c/o Settlement Administrator
1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103

While this is an automatic distribution settlement, we recommend selecting your preferred payment method on the Payment Election Form. For the full breakdown, including eligibility details, payout information, and settlement timeline, visit the full Google Android Cellular Data Privacy Settlement details page.

What to Know About the Google Settlement Payments

Another Google Settlement

Google has also recently settled a separate class action over its Assistant technology allegedly recording private conversations without consent. That settlement is now open for claims:

• Google Assistant $68M Privacy Settlement (up to $95)