Develop Reference

How to remove REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES from previous verison

In previous version of my app I used open_file and unfortunately it used REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission.
Now I delete this permission and changed package now Im using open_filex.
Added this code to my manifest file.
<uses-permission
android:name="android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES"
tools:node="remove"/>
But can not publish my new version. Google wants me fill the "Sensitive permissions and APIs" - part witch I don't now what case I should to choose.
How can I solve this problem ?
I also tried to add new release in Internal testing but couldn't

I had the same problem, i solved changing the plugin for this:
open_filex
This package is a fork of open_file to fix the following issues:
-Remove REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission in Android to comply with GooglePlay publish policies

Remove that code from AndroidManifest. Not required.
Alternatively check if the new package you added contains the permission.
open_file_safe worked for me.

I got this message from Google support.
Thanks for contacting Google Play Developer Support and we apologize for not addressing your query as quickly as expected. We are currently experiencing a huge inflow of support requests which caused the delay in responding to your email.
Your app com.copafacil is not compliant with the Permissions policy. Currently, your app still contains the following permissions in version code 140 (2.49):
android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
After removing these permissions, you can submit a new release with the APK that does not contain these permissions to replace the current active APKs.
The Play Console may still be prompting you to submit a Permissions Declaration Form if you still have active APKs in different tracks. If you have active APKs with permissions in multiple tracks, you have to submit Permissions Declaration Form and update all active tracks with APKs with the permissions. When updating the last track, the form will not be needed. You can also not include or create an empty release (a release without any APKs) for testing tracks as part of this.
To release a new compliant APK, please follow these steps:
Go to your Play Console.
Select the app.
On the left menu, select Release and choose the track (Production or Testing > Open/Closed/Internal) which includes sensitive permissions.
Click “Create new release” or “Manage Track”.
a. Suggested order (if tracks have non-compliant APKs): Internal track > Closed > Open > Production.
If you are required to complete Permissions Declaration Form while releasing the app, please complete the form according to the following instructions:
a. Choose one core functionality (e.g. Default SMS handler) to make a release with compliant APK. This release may automatically lead to rejection but this will not include the non-compliant APK(s) in the track.
Select Save > Review at the bottom of the page.
Click Start Rollout.
a. Please ensure that the new release is rolled out 100% and completely not including the non-compliant APK.
Go back to step 1 to make another release in the track where non-compliant APK(s) are in active status until there is no active APK with sensitive permissions across tracks.
Thanks for working with us through this process and please let us know if you have any further questions.

Google Play Rejects My flutter app because of REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES

enter image description hereMy flutter app was rejected because of REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES, I checked all the permissions in my project and I found this permission was used in open_file package.
I tried almost all the solutions but nothing worked for me. I tried open_filex and open_file_safe packages and no thing worked.
Any one has a solution?
open_file, open_file_safe, open_filex,
open_filex:
git:
url: https://github.com/GoldenSoju/open_file.git

First try this one
open_file_safe
If you still facing REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES issue, you can try these:
In Play console (your affected app), click App Content under Policy
Look for Sensitive permissions and APIs and click Start.
Select APKs and bundles, the list will show you the build and track
that contain sensitive permission/API.
Navigate to the affected track, create a new release without uploading
any apk/bundle (or upload a clean build to replace the existing one), and give a
Release name and submit to review.
Navigate to Publishing overview and check whether the review is
pending to submit, if any, send the review.
Reference

How to upgrade app bundle or delete previous version app bundle from google console

By mistake, I uploaded to Version code 999999999. to internal testing to google console.
Now I want to upload version code 1.
but I can't do it.
It gives the below error
Error
You can't rollout this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added app bundles.
is there any way to delete the previous app bundle(99999999) or upload with version code 1 ?

Unfortunately is not possible.
The whole play console does not allow you to push a new version of the app if the Version Code that you are pushing is lower than the one already there.
However since you are using the internal testing you may try to close the track.
On this link you will find out that other user had this issue in the past so you can only push a higher number

Getting please set the query parameter changesNotSentForReview to true while releasing Android App from appcenter.ms

I am trying to build and distribute android app from appcenter.ms. Initially I got rejection after rolling out 3rd update and I tried to rebuild changes. But while distributing to store I got following issue.
Edit could not be committed due to an error. Changes cannot be sent
for review automatically. Please set the query parameter
changesNotSentForReview to true. Once committed, the changes in this
edit can be sent for review from the Google Play Console UI.
I don't want to make changes from Google Play Console UI and want to make changes from appcenter.ms only.
How to set that parameter in code.
Help will be really appreciable!

I had the same error with fastlane.
the problem was with an edit being reviewed that was not submitted.
In the play store dev console --> release overview --> change under review. there was an action to validate. it was the data security questionnaire.
once the form was submitted, I had no more problems with fastlane.

Had this same issue from AppCenter. There are some sites suggesting this is a setting in the API that is posting the app but AppCenter does not offer the setting.
The solution for me was to use 'Archive for Publishing' in Visual Studio for mac. If I then chose to 'sign and distribute' direct to Google play I would get the same issue as above.
By choosing 'Ad Hoc' distribution, then saving locally I would get a signed .aab file. This file can be manually uploaded to Google when editing a release.
I created a new track, manually uploaded, promoted it to testing then production without any issue.

Location permission declaration needs to be updated even after removed permission - App Content - Reject Google Play Console

I am facing one problem regarding Android app new version publishing.
Scenario :
I uploaded initial flutter android app 2 month ago (Dec 2020) to google play store where we had accidentally added Location permission even with no use in code. (Just permission added in Android Manifest).
Now we come up with new version of flutter android app and trying to create new Release version 1.0.2 it shows error while Submitting new release version of app.
Error : Fix errors to rollout this release
Issue is regarding used location permission in my initial app version which is live on play store
Issue need to be fixed : Your background location permission
declaration needs to be updated.
In the App Content it showing error in Sensitive app permissions
Note : In Sensitive app permission - Location Permission. It's not showing Manage Button instead there is a option to location permission declaration form.
We don't want to use location permission now . so we removed location
permissions and trying to upload new release version but still this
location permission (Sensitive App permission) declaration showing
error again and again.

Solution :
First of all fill-out form of declaration for location permission (Any Sensitive permission used in previous rolled out APK version). This will fixed temporary error of App Content - Sensitive Permission Issue.
In my scenario i have added no usage of background location In
declaration and random youtube video link.
After permission declaration you can create/edit new release.
Make sure before adding new release APK to console please analyse APK and make sure that that sensitive permission is not used again. (If you used that sensitive permission again than you need to add valid sensitive permission declaration in AppContent -> Sensitive Permission)
After Creating new release version you can roll out new release version from Release dashboard.
After Roll out go to App content -> Sensitive App Permissions -> click on Manage and Select No Radio Button and Save it.
ITS DONE. Your new release version app will be live soon!

I had the same problem - I didn't need anymore this permission but the APK in prod used this permission (and also some releases of some tests) so the console let me only explain why I needed this permission and didn't display the question if I do use this permission.
When I tried to add new tests I was always rejected because I didn't have a good reason why I needed the background access permission.
If you don't need this permission anymore:
(I don't have the exact name of the sections, actions because I have a non-english language in Google Play Console)
I found a solution that worked for me: App Update is rejected from google play due to Background Location access (But I didn't use any background location Permission).
In App content -> Sensitive App Permissions -> click on Manage -> Click on Display APKs.... You will see all the APKs that use the background permission. Those APKs can be used in Tests or Production.In order to fix the problem you will need this list to be empty.
APK from Test sections:
For each test - search the source of the release (a release from a test of internal tests/closed tests...)
Under the test section, click on Manage (even for suspended tests), click on New Release and add an empty release (without APK) click to examine the release.[Add a new empty release under the test/s that uses a release with an APK that requires the background access permission. Don't add new empty tests].
APK from Production:
You will have to add a new release on Production that doesn't include the background permission.
Now you will see that no APK is displayed when clicking on Display APks... on Sensitive permission... Now when clicking on Manage (under Sensitive permission..) you will have a new question - if you do use the background access. Click on "No" and now you can add new Tests.

I had a similar problem when modifying an application in production that did not use the sensitive permission, but had it declared
The reason that the Play Store Console showed the application stuck in "under review" status was that it could not modify the permission statement, caused by having limited the scope of the app to a single country, limit that was different from the version that was in production
After being able to adjust the regional distribution to all countries, I was able to start the release of a new version that did not use sensitive permissions, with which the permission declaration form could now show me the correct question that had nothing to do with location in background ("Does your app access location in the background in APKs or app bundles targeting Android 9 or older?") according to the documentation in:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9799150?hl=en#zippy=%2Chow-do-i-remove-location-in-the-background

The issue is that an outdated APK/App bundle file was added to the Alpha/Beta testing phase (but never moved to production), and rather than correcting it, he added a new APK/App bundle to the live environment. The Alpha/Beta file is currently being reviewed rather than the new production file due to changes in how reviews are carried out by Google. In Google's denial, you can see the versionCode of the previous APK/App bundle.
The new APK/App bundle file should therefore be added to the same Alpha/Beta as the old one before being promoted to production. Once you have done that, go back to APP CONTENT and you will see there yes/no form. Issue is resolved.