Develop Reference

Trouble with Google Play console notification: We have detected that your manifest file contains the permission REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES

Hello i have an app in play console and receive the next notification:
We have detected that your manifest file contains the permission REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES.
Google explain the steps for legalize it, but i don't have this permission in my manifest and I don't use functions to install files either ,i don´t know the real reason for this message and i'm afraid that my app will be removed from the store if I don't take the necessary measures.
Does anyone have more information on this or know what google might actually be detecting in my app?
This are the permissions in the manifest:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CALL_PHONE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
<uses-permission
android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID"
tools:node="remove" />
Edit: I receive a new mail from Google , they specify the permission belongs to HMS core, i search in the huawei developers and Huawei release some update of all their libraries fixing or eliminating the permission from the code, it seem to solve the problem , i will upload a new version to play console hoping finishing the issue

You are querying all packages with the package manager, this is no longer allowed since Android 8.0. If you don't see it in your manifest, you might want to check your merged manifest.
See more info here.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/12085295?hl=en

ExternalStorage does not create files in release version

The problem is that when developing in the debug version, everything is in order, I can easily write files to memory. But I'm making a release version for Google Play, and the logs show that it simply cannot create a folder / file.
I dug up all the documentation, all the permissions are as written, but apparently I still missed something. Tell me, help
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission
android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
android:maxSdkVersion="30" />
<uses-permission
android:name="android.permission.MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
android:minSdkVersion="30"
tools:ignore="ScopedStorage" />
android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"

App installation fails in Android 12 devices

Our app fails to install after migrating to the targetSdkVersion 31. On trying to find the issue we found that a library was using FLASHLIGHT permission and we were getting this error while installing:
Installation failed due to: 'Failed to commit install session
130765275 with command cmd package install-commit 130765275. Error:
-127: Package com.xxxx.yyyy.zzzz attempting to declare permission android.permission.FLASHLIGHT in non-existing group
android.permission-group.HARDWARE_CONTROLS'
Permissions used in the manifest file of library:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" />
<permission
android:name="android.permission.FLASHLIGHT"
android:permissionGroup="android.permission-group.HARDWARE_CONTROLS"
android:protectionLevel="normal" />
Is there any workaround to this issue?

android.permission-group.HARDWARE_CONTROLS is deprecated in targetSdkVersion 31 . The work around is to remove the permission used by library in your manifest by
<permission
android:name="permissionOne"
tools:node="remove"
tools:selector="com.example.lib1">
tools:node="remove"
will remove the permission from the App if its used in any of your libraries

how to resolve google play warning regarding "Use of SMS or Call Log permission groups"

I have removed sms and call log permissions from my app and using alternatives to common uses that is using share intent and dial intent. But I am still getting the same warning in the play console on my application. following is the list of permissions in my app.
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_CREDENTIALS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS"
tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
<!-- Push Notification Permission -->
<uses-permission android:name="com.onwaycab.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />
<uses-permission
android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE"/>
<!-- MAP Permission -->
<permission
android:name="com.onwaycab.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE"
android:protectionLevel="signature" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.onwaycab.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE" />
Edit:
I am receiving the warning even if I have not used sms and call log permission so it is not duplicate of that question.

If you are seeing this alert every time you refresh the page, then one or more your libraries might be using the permission.
To check all permissions your app is using, just install the app on the real device and check the App Info - Permissions.
Alternatively, add this to your Manifest file. tools:node="remove" will remove the permission in case if any library is requesting it.
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CALL_LOG" tools:node="remove" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_CALL_LOG" tools:node="remove" />
Another important point, if you are using build variant then define it inside your highest priority manifest file.
Library manifest: lowest Priority
Main manifest: Medium Priority
Build Vairant manifest : Highest priority

My playstore console showed this "SMS & CALL_LOGS" related warning.
So, I removed the SMS & CALL_LOGS related permissions from the manifest and uploaded the latest release build to playstore. But the warning was still shown to me after latest build was published on store.
So ,After this I filled this below Permissions declaration form and the warning is removed now.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCnRaa4b1VuHhE4gVekWJc_V0Zt4XiTlsKsTipTlPg5ECA7Q/viewform

Another thing worth checking - we had an old Beta version of the app that did use SMS in the Google Play Console on Release management -> App release.
The Beta wasn't active any more but that old version was still showing under Release management -> Artifact library-> Active artifacts, so am guessing Google still considered it an active application. Helpfully this area also shows you all the permissions your app uses, in case you are concerned if a library or plugin is adding permissions without your knowledge.
Removing the Beta version and appealing the removal as it being due to an inactive Beta, got the app republished within a few hours.

application requires feature(s) not available on your device

I have an Android application on Android Market, but some users are complaining about an error shown when the installation starts, just after the download:
One of them sent me a video of this error showing up, and I could see that this error is not caused by the application, but probably in the verification of permission/features process.
As far as I know, this error is just happening on Motorola Droid/Milestone devices running Eclair, it doesn't happen with Froyo. Unfortunately, I don't have access to any device like this one in order to run logcat and check what's going on.
Here are my permission/features on AndroidManifest.xml:
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.location" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.telephony" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FLASHLIGHT" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_GPS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

I finally found out what's happening by getting a Droid device and running logcat:
E/PackageManager( 1280): Package com.mycompany.myapp requires unavailable feature android.hardware.telephony; failing!
Motorola Droid devices running Eclair are not able to install applications that declare
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.telephony" />
in their manifest. It's very strange, though, because the Android Market should hide it from these devices. This is probably a bug caused by the changes made to the Eclair by Motorola, since it doesn't happen with other devices running Eclair, neither with the same Droid running Froyo.

According to the docs:
Android Market attempts to discover an application's implied feature
requirements by examining other elements declared in the manifest
file, specifically, <uses-permission> elements.
Given that, have you tried removing the uses-feature tags? Since those are implied by the uses-permissions tags, and you aren't using the "android:required" attribute.

The device say " this feature is not available in this device " when I'm installing an app downloaded from play store and i have to give it permission