Google Takeout for Google Play: What Your Export Contains
Google Takeout is the official way to download the data Google holds about your Play activity: purchases, orders, installs, your library. This page shows how to get the export and what each file inside typically contains — including the honest limits.
How to export your Play data
You can do this on your phone or a computer — the export is the same:
Sign in with the Google account whose Play history you want.
By default every Google service is selected. You only need one.
Scroll the list, tick only Google Play Store.
Keep the defaults: export once, download link by email, ZIP format.
Google usually prepares a Play-only export within minutes.
The full walkthrough — including what to do with the ZIP — is in How to Export Your Google Play Purchase History.
The files, one by one
Inside the ZIP, look for the Google Play Store folder. A typical export contains some or all of the files below. One caveat before the table: Google does not publish a formal schema for these files. What follows is based on observed exports — contents can vary by account and over time.
| File | Role | Typically contains | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase History.json | The list of things you acquired | Purchases with item titles and dates: apps, games, in-app purchases, subscriptions, sometimes other content types | Amounts usually live in Order History instead; field structure is undocumented |
| Order History.json | The transaction ledger | Orders with amounts, currency, dates; payment and refund related fields | Can contain payment-method details — sensitive; structure undocumented |
| Installs.json | Install activity per device | Records of apps installed on your devices, with device and timing information | The app identifier may be a name or a package name; old entries can be unreliable |
| Library.json | Your Play library | Items associated with your account's library | Coverage and fields vary; don't expect a clean "all apps I own" list |
Depending on your account and activity, the export may also include other files — devices, reviews you've written, Play Points or redemption related data. Treat anything not listed here as a bonus, not a given.
What the export won't tell you
Being precise matters more than being enthusiastic, so:
- No guaranteed developer names or package IDs for every entry. Some records identify apps cleanly; others don't.
- No "this app was delisted" flag. The export records what you acquired, not the app's current store status. An export can preserve a purchase record that has become hard to find in the Play interface — it can't tell you why, or whether the app still exists on the store.
- No schema promise. Fields can change. Any tool reading these files has to be tolerant of variation.
Treat the ZIP as sensitive
Order History can include payment-method related fields, and the export as a whole is a map of your account activity. Keep the ZIP to yourself, don't upload it to websites you don't trust, and delete it once you're done. If you use a tool to read it, prefer one that works locally — your file should never need to leave your device.
FAQ
Is Google Takeout free?
Yes. Takeout is Google's official, free data export tool. You select the services, Google prepares an archive and emails you a download link. No third party is involved, and no app gets access to your account.
How long does a Google Play export take?
Usually minutes for a Play-only export, since the data volume is small. Larger all-services exports can take longer. Google emails you when the archive is ready.
Does the Takeout export include my payment card details?
Order History can contain payment-method related fields. Treat the ZIP as sensitive: keep it private, don't upload it to random websites, and delete it when you're done.
Are the file contents guaranteed?
No. Google doesn't publish a formal schema for these files. Contents are based on observed exports and can vary by account and over time. Fields described here are "typically present", not contractual.
Raw export → searchable archive.
App Purchase Vault is in pre-launch: it reads this ZIP on your phone. Your export is never uploaded.