Health Content — Health content and services

Google requires health-related apps — symptom checkers, treatment trackers, wellness apps — to avoid claims that could cause real-world harm if wrong, such as guaranteeing a cure or discouraging users from seeking professional care.

A frequent cause is a wellness or supplement app claiming to treat, cure, or prevent a specific disease without any clinical backing, which Google's health content review flags regardless of app category.

The short version, in more detail

Google requires health-related apps, such as symptom checkers, treatment trackers and wellness tools, to avoid claims that could cause harm if they are wrong. Examples include guaranteeing a cure or discouraging people from seeking professional care. A supplement or wellness app that claims to treat or prevent a disease without clinical support is flagged regardless of its category.

Why this rule exists

People often turn to apps for health information when they are worried, and misleading claims can lead to delayed treatment or harmful choices. Because the stakes are personal and sometimes serious, Google expects health claims to be accurate and supportable and to avoid promising outcomes. The policy seeks to keep the store from becoming a source of unreliable medical advice.

What this guideline covers

• Medical, health and wellness claims.
• Symptom checkers and treatment tools.
• Claims about curing, treating or preventing disease.
• Regulatory status for apps that function as medical devices.

What usually triggers this rejection

• Claiming to cure or prevent a disease without clinical evidence.
• Discouraging users from seeing a professional.
• Measurements presented as clinical without validation.
• Supplement claims in an app listing.
• Misleading before-and-after claims.

How reviewers evaluate it

• Reviewers read the listing and in-app claims.
• They look for supporting evidence or disclaimers.
• They consider whether the app acts like a medical device.
• They apply stricter standards to high-risk claims.

Common misunderstandings

• A wellness label does not exempt medical claims.
• A disclaimer cannot make an untrue claim acceptable.
• Regulation of medical devices exists separately from Play policy.

Common questions