Playstore - App getting rejected due to 'android.permission.READ_CALL_LOG' - android

In our android app we included android.permission.READ_CALL_LOG permission which is needed for our functionality. After integrate these permission and once we uploaded the app in PlayStore the app got rejected due to READ_CALL_LOG permission and received below message.
Can anybody please let me know how could solve this issue? I couldn't remove the 'READ_CALL_LOG' permission which is require in my project.
Regards

Your app can not declare READ_CALL_LOG permission in Manifest unless it was a dialer app.
If you feel, your app's major functionality depends on READ_CALL_LOG permission, you must fill the declaration form explaining why you need this permission.
If your request is accepted, your app will be allowed to use the permission.

Google has restricted SMS and CALL permissions for default apps only. Apps are getting rejected due to permissions declaration in the manifest file. There are alternate ways to get required permissions access in android applications.
Follow below link for more information.
No more SMS and Call permissions

Related

Denying a permission to a specific library/module

We use this SDK within our app. It's imported as its own module, and is packaged as a .AAR file. Last year, our app was removed from the Play Store multiple times for uploading contact information without displaying a prominent disclosure. This SDK was to blame for some of these removals. Our response was to remove all contact-related features from our app and to remove the READ_CONTACTS permission in both our app's AndroidManifest and the SDK's AndroidManifest. However, now we're reimplementing these contact-related features, so we can't remove this permission in our app's AndroidManifest any more. We need our app to have this permission, but the SDK must not have it.
My question is this: if our app has READ_CONTACTS permission, does that also grant this permission to the SDK? Or does the SDK's AndroidManifest need to explicitly include the READ_CONTACTS permission in order to be able to use it?
We need our app to have this permission, but the SDK must not have it.
That is not a thing, sorry.
if our app has READ_CONTACTS permission, does that also grant this permission to SDK?
Yes. There is no difference between a library and code that you typed in yourself.

READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE and READ_PHONE_STATE

I have an app using this method: getLine1Number from TelephonyManager
According to Android Documentation, this method needs READ_PHONE_STATE runtime permission. When I call this api without giving this permission, my app crashes. However, If I grant this app with the signature permission READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE and without giving the READ_PHONE_STATE permission, the api works and the app does not crash.
Why is it the case?
the reason is simple, some APIs in order to work read permission from the android system as they are trying to access user-private data. Android, designed as a secure OS, would grant permissions to expose such data to these APIs. Some permissions needs to be explicitly agreed upon by the user, while some only need to be registered to keep track of.
Not including these permissions in the Manifesto will cause a permission not granted error and the app will crash as your source code probably does not have logic to deal with that.

How are permissions given to an app during development?

I am developing an app and the manifest has included permissions INTERNET and SEND_SMS. There was no asking of permissions when the apk was installed by Android Studio to either an emulator or a real phone.
When I ran the app, which sends an SMS, there was a permission exception. I had to go to Settings, Apps and under Permissions, there is an option to enable SMS. After I enabled it, the app could send SMS'es.
When the app made a network call using HttpUrlConnection, it completed successfully! Under Settings Apps, there is no option for network or Internet or the like.
Why is it that making a network communication does not require any permission by the user?
Under Settings, Apps, why is there only one permission, SMS, listed for my app?
It's the developer responsibility to request the permission at the runtime.
Before accessing any danger permission. (Runtime Permission are supported from Android M(6.0))
Not all the permission need to be requested from the user. Only Danger Permission needs an approval from the user. Normal and Danger Permsission
Please follow this guide Runtime Permission
The permissions model was changed in Android 6.0. If the app targets API 23 or above than you need to request the user for the permissions in runtime. If the app targets below API 23 than the app gets the permissions during intall.
There are some permissions like "INTERNET" that will always be during intall.
You're running your app in Android SDK>=23.
Internet permission is under Normal permission so it does not show any permission prompt but Camera permission is under Dangerous Permission so it shows permission prompt.
If an app declares that it needs a normal permission, the system automatically grants that respective permission to the app.
Refer:
Reference -
Android Permissions
StackOverflow
Permission Requests

Permissions From Other Application in Android

I am trying to use another third party application into my application. Basically using some of the services from third party app. But these services need custom permissions defined in the third party application. So I have added those permission in my applications manifest file.
Suppose if my application is installed before installing the third party application then it won't get those permissions and so if I try to access the services from third party app, I am getting Security exception.
Is there a way to ask for permissions again or any other suggestions.
The permissions you request in your manifest are the permissions your app will receive regardless of when it is installed. Period. The permissions granted to another application are accessible by that application only. If there is a permission you need to use, it should be in your manifest. If it is there, permission will be requested from the user upon installation.
This is actually a known limitation of custom permissions. Even if both apps where yours, the one that defines the custom permission needs to be installed first, otherwise you will get an exception. If you control both apps, you need to define it in both apps. Otherwise, there is really no workaround: a permission needs to be know to the system to be granted.
BTW, you can use a third-party permission, as long as it is not a signature permission, requiring your app to be signed with the same key.

Regarding Android Permissions and Signature Protection level

I am new to Android and have a question regarding protection level "Signature" for permissions in AndroidManifest.xml.
The Android reference document states about "Signature" protection level:
A permission that the system grants only if the requesting application
is signed with the same certificate as the application that declared
the permission. If the certificates match, the system automatically
grants the permission without notifying the user or asking for the
user's explicit approval.
This implies that permissions which have protection level "Signature" are not available to use by normal application and can only be used Android Dev Team.
What I am wondering about is that how many applications in Android Market or on other sites can have these permissions? Like an application which is used for recording calls has android.permission.DEVICE_POWER in addition to other permissions. Is Android system really granting this permission to this application while installation?
When I tried to use the permission "READ_INPUT_STATE" (new in 2.2) I got the following error in LogCat:
06-28 09:28:34.943: WARN/PackageManager(60): Not granting permission android.permission.READ_INPUT_STATE to package com.example.wheredoyoulive (protectionLevel=2 flags=0x8444)
The same is true for permissions with Protection Level "SignatureOrSystem". There exists a caller application which has CALL_PRIVILEGED permission in addition to other permissions.
Please help me and clear my doubts.
Regards
Abhishek
I believe the purpose of the "Signature" permission level is for two applications by the same developer to be able to share data seamlessly without bothering the user. The READ_INPUT_STATE permission is not intended to be used in applications:
Allows an application to retrieve the current state of keys and switches. This is only for use by the system.
See http://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html#READ_INPUT_STATE
Facebook home uses this,
once you install it you'll notice that it doesn't request ANY permissions, but explicitly requires that the facebook app be installed, this is so that the system can grant it the necessary permissions by proxy of the Facebook app.
Typically what happens is the Facebook app with advertise facilities for other apps to read your status and news feed, normally these apps would need to explicitly request permission to use them if they are signed under a different certificate or rather private key.

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