Proper way to republish rejected android app - android

I am working on client project. I submitted the android app on play store from my account. It was showing on Play store. Than according to requirement i have to publish the app from client play console account. I removed app from my account and published the same app with different package name. Than it shows app rejected because of some family policy violation. I fixed this and resubmit the app. Now it taking a lot of time in reviewing the app.
I have tried to resubmit the app after editing the policies required by google.
I want to know how much time google will take to republish my app after reviewing it again.
Or How i can connect from google with any #support email.

It usually they review my apps within few hours... but... I feel there's something wrong inside Google and one of many emails I had from their support told me it's because there's a new review process for apps on the Family program. Well I will tell a little bit about my journey may give you some idea why you are having this problem.
We experienced this problem with 2 apps:
First App: I received a message saying that my update was rejected because of the violation on the Family program alleging that it was crashing or giving an error (pretty generic message without any detail at all), I enter in contact on the support form and they send an email asking for me to read the terms and to update my APK number and submit again, I read the terms, I already had complied with everything so I replied saying that, we already comply with everyhting and we tested the APK and OBB installation and game play, all good, please send more details, they replied copying and pasting the same message, I once more insisted and asked for them to explain the problem, they replied asking for update my APK version and submit again, I said this will solve no crashes, please explain what is the problem and the support called Sara highlighted in the message asking to update the APK version, kind of talking with a machine that do not responded what I asked, but I updated my APK version, submitted again and... Worked. Why? For some reason they will not explain, my guess is they just marked my APK as dirty as an attempt to remove apps that the developers don't update, there's no other logical thing I can think off.
Second App: This one I didn't had a happy end as the previous one, I tried the technique of updating the APK version 6 times, none worked, I asked help on the form (many times), they just copy and paste the message about read the Terms, I started to insist for some details, provided them with many proves that my APK+OBB files sent to Google Play are working fine, and asked for any clue about this "problem", like a device model and Android Version that they experienced it (isn't the minimum they suppose to provide us?) but after requesting this many times, for the first time the support guy called Arthur didn't copied and pasted and finally wrote an email, his answer was:
Hi Developer,
Thanks again for contacting the Google Play Team.
As much as I'd like to help, due to policy, I’m not able to provide any more information or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.
If you have a different question about Google Play policies, please let me know.
Regards,
Arthur
The Google Play Team
It means, he has no information at all about what is the problem, I've trying to solve this for 2 months, our flagship game is threatened of been removed from the store and they can't even explain why, the support team can just copy and paste a generic message without any understanding of our problem and we have no other channel to ask for help.
I'm really disappointed with Google for such poor support for developers.
Hope you can solve your problem updating your APK and submitting again, otherwise you can enter on the same loop as me.
Good luck!

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Google Play Console says internal test is available, but it's not [closed]

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I have created an internal release of an Android app on the Google Play console. When I copy the opt-in link and paste it into the browser, and then click the link to install the app, I get this Not Found page.
According to the Play Console, the Internal Testing Track is not active, but it's been 5+ days.
Here's what's not the problem:
All the app details are filled in, and the Play Console says the app is available to internal testers
I am logged into a Google account that is on the internal testers list
The release is over five days old, so it should be done processing
The opt-in link is available
The answer is that 48 hours may be considered typical, but my internal test was not ready until a full week after its upload to the Play Console. During that week, I put in a ticket with Google developer support, but never got a response. My recommendation is to wait for a week, and then put in a support ticket if it's still not up by then, and hope they respond.
Same issue - our app wasn't available after 48 hours, so I reached out. I quickly got this reply, which is unfortunate:
Hi,
Thanks for contacting Google Play Developer Support!
Please note that your app submission to the internal test track is still processing which is the reason it's not accessible via it's opt-in link yet.
Due to adjusted work schedules at this time, we are currently experiencing longer than usual review times. While the situation is currently evolving, app review times may fluctuate, and may take 7 days or longer.
Moving forward, we recommend you adjust your planning to account for this and avoid resubmitting, as each update or change to your app will cause the review process to start over from the very beginning. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding.
If you have any other questions about using the Play Console, please let me know and I’ll be happy to help.
Regards,
Suraj
Google Play Developer Support
Wow! I am on day 4 now and my app is still "being reviewed"... The Internal Testing Url is still not working... My app got rejected because of some wording in my description that violated their content policy. The reason for rejection was very vague and didn't say what it was. I cleaned up anything/everything including the term "youtube videos" and saved it. So when they emailed me the "rejection" email (Day 2) I went and checked the Google Play Console and it still said being reviewed and didn't mention anything about the rejection...
Google needs to overhaul that entire system because it is virtually un-usable! They may as have have used white text over a white background! Geesh!
My iphone app review process with Apple was done in 2 days! Much better experience!
App releases on the Internal testing track may or may not be subjected to a review. If it is the first release on the track, it is very likely to be reviewed. Reviews can take days or minutes, and from experience, it is best to plan for about 7 days (safest side) in the app review process in Play Store.
Google PlayStore does not provide expedited review like Apple AppStore does. PlayStore's Internal testing track also has nitty-gritty details in its working, which I never found any documentation for, and had to learn them the hard way.
Maybe this post helps: https://medium.com/#tukai.anirban/internal-testing-in-google-playstore-47de955062ad
(Disclaimer: I wrote this post after facing various hurdles when getting my latest app through Play Store)

How to fix "Violation of Families Policy Requirements" on Google Playstore

My free app directed at children from (0-5) just got rejected from Google Play in its last update. It is not released yet, I'm only releasing internal tests. The issue is the following:
"Issue: Violation of Families Policy Requirements
We have detected that your app collects personal information, however, it was not disclosed in your Play Console. Apps that include children in the target audience must comply with all Families Policy Requirements, which requires that you disclose the collection of any personal information from children in your app, including through APIs and SDKs called or used in your app. "
My app does not contain any ads but instead it has a single IAP (non-consumable) which unlocks the full game. I am using a middleware called Construct 3 to make it and also GameAnalytics to record events such as game completed, errors, etc.
The Required permissions are the following:
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, android.permission.INTERNET, android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, com.android.vending.BILLING
So I am not sure what the problem is, to be honest, and I am a bit confused. The mail I received mentioned doing the following:
"Review the App Content > Target audience and content section in your Play Console and be sure to accurately disclose the collection of personal information. And if applicable, you must collect verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from children."
So I tried and the only thing regarding the collection of personal information is what they refer to as PII (personal identifiable information). However, I don't collect any personal identifiable information as far as I know unless it's because of GameAnalytics SDK?
Example of fake data I get on GameAnalytics:
{arrival_ts:23:06, country_code:US, data:{android_app_build:3600, android_app_signature:fdg46g465dfg45d4fg654dfg64g, android_app_version:0.0.36, android_bundle_id:com.test.test, android_channel_id:com.android.vending, build:0.0.36, category:session_end, client_ts:45464654, connection_type:wwan, device:Pixel 3, google_aid:dbf5e8ab-488a-4152-afb1-dfgdf556, length:1196, manufacturer:Google, os_version:android 9, platform:android, sdk_version:construct 2.2.3, session_id:c8e3d86c-8519-42f7-a3b4-6465dfgdgf, session_num:32, user_id:dbfdfggfdab-488a-4152-afb1-df45dfg, v:2}, first_in_batch:true, game_id:78269, ip:182.19.58.0}
If anyone has some idea where to look at, that would be really appreciated.
This my post on Stack Overflow, so if it does not have this place here sorry.
We experienced this problem with 2 apps:
First App: I received a message saying that my update was rejected because of the violation on the Family program alleging that it was crashing or giving an error (pretty generic message without any detail at all), I enter in contact on the support form and they send an email asking for me to read the terms and to update my APK number and submit again, I read the terms, I already had complied with everything so I replied saying that, we already comply with everyhting and we tested the APK and OBB installation and game play, all good, please send more details, they replied copying and pasting the same message, I once more insisted and asked for them to explain the problem, they replied asking for update my APK version and submit again, I said this will solve no crashes, please explain what is the problem and the support called Sara highlighted in the message asking to update the APK version, kind of talking with a machine that do not responded what I asked, but I updated my APK version, submitted again and... Worked. Why? For some reason they will not explain, my guess is they just marked my APK as dirty as an attempt to remove apps that the developers don't update, there's no other logical thing I can think off.
Second App: This one I didn't had a happy end as the previous one, I tried the technique of updating the APK version 6 times, none worked, I asked help on the form (many times), they just copy and paste the message about read the Terms, I started to insist for some details, provided them with many proves that my APK+OBB files sent to Google Play are working fine, and asked for any clue about this "problem", like a device model and Android Version that they experienced it (isn't the minimum they suppose to provide us?) but after requesting this many times, for the first time the support guy called Arthur didn't copied and pasted and finally wrote an email, his answer was:
Hi Developer,
Thanks again for contacting the Google Play Team.
As much as I'd like to help, due to policy, I’m not able to provide any more information or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.
If you have a different question about Google Play policies, please let me know.
Regards,
Arthur
The Google Play Team
It means, he has no information at all about what is the problem, I've trying to solve this for 2 months, our flagship game is threatened of been removed from the store and they can't even explain why, the support team can just copy and paste a generic message without any understanding of our problem and we have no other channel to ask for help.
I'm really disappointed with Google for such poor support for developers.
Hope you can solve your problem updating your APK and submitting again, otherwise you can enter on the same loop as me.
Good luck!

What could cause a published Android app to spontaneously stop working for a large number of users?

I hope this question isn't too broad. I realize the answer to my question is "Anything, it depends on the particulars." I'm just looking for ideas here. I have a published Android app that has been in the store for years. People download it every day. Suddenly, on July 2, 2018, I start getting messages from tons of users, both new and old, saying they can't get past the startup screen, where the app does a series of checks (read-write to storage, check license, etc). I haven't changed anything in the app.
Oh, and of course it doesn't repro for me.
I asked my users for information about the device they're using, their build of Android, their physical location, and I don't see any patterns. It's all kind of devices including official Google devices, and the OS ranges from 6.0 to 8.1.0. Users are from all over the world.
Based on what users are telling me they see on the screen, it seems that the Google Play license check might be the place where things are going wrong. (However, no exceptions or error messages are shown.) Also pointing in this direction is the fact that the free apps (which have otherwise identical logic) seem to work okay.
Did Google deprecate something a licensing library starting on July 1 or something like that?
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Big thanks to #MorrisonChang in the comments to my question pointing me in the right direction. I have confirmed that this was indeed a problem with the Google Play Store app, and customers who upgraded to 10.7.19 report that my apps are working properly again.

Why do I see an App Version Code as 'Unknown' in Google Playstore Console?

I have an Android App which is live in the Playstore and I was analysing the ratings for different version codes. I found something which doesn't actually make much sense to me.
In the list of apps with version codes, there happens to be a version code labeled as Unknown
Each and every app which I had released had proper version codes with it (or else the playstore itself won't allow me to publish).
I am wondering from where this Unknown come from.
If anyone else had faced the same issue and have an explanation for the same, please help me grasp an explanation.
Attaching the screenshot for further clarity.
Thanks in advance :)
Here is the quote form different thread:
I contacted Google Play about this a while ago and they finally
answered and offered a likely explanation about why the "Unknown"
version(s) are the worst rated: If a user uninstalls the app, and
after that decides to rate it, then the version will appear as unknown
because the system can't figure out what version exactly the rating is
referring to since the app is no longer on the user's device. And the
users who are most likley to uninstall AND rate the app are those who
really disliked it, hence the low ratings.
But in my case Uknown version doesn't have the lowest rating. It has the average.
"Unknown" indicates an unknown or invalid sender ID. You may check this related SO thread. One workaround given is to change your Google Analytics tracking code by using a new profile. Also, make sure that you use ProGuard to protect your codes.

App Rejected from play store "designed for families" [closed]

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This is the first game I have written and I am trying to publish it to Google Play store in the Designed For Families section. The app keeps getting rejected with the following feedback:
Apps in Designed for Families must include metadata text and images
that accurately reflect the app experience.
I have read all the guidelines and policies and I cant work out where I am going wrong! I have revised the short and full description and I feel they fully reflect the app. The images are all screen shots from game play so they should accurately reflect the experience.
I have changed the "family category" to be "Brain Games" as this is the best fit for the app. I m happy to include the full description and short description and the images that i have used for the release but I didnt want to bombard the thread with to much information...
Have I totally missed understood the feedback??? is it actually referring to the metadata in the androidManifest?
I know there are lots of thread about getting rejected from the play store but none of those address this particular issue.
Thanks for reading I hope someone can help as I am really stuck!
We experienced this problem with 2 apps:
First App: I received a message saying that my update was rejected because of the violation on the Family program alleging that it was crashing or giving an error (pretty generic message without any detail at all), I enter in contact on the support form and they send an email asking for me to read the terms and to update my APK number and submit again, I read the terms, I already had complied with everything so I replied saying that, we already comply with everyhting and we tested the APK and OBB installation and game play, all good, please send more details, they replied copying and pasting the same message, I once more insisted and asked for them to explain the problem, they replied asking for update my APK version and submit again, I said this will solve no crashes, please explain what is the problem and the support called Sara highlighted in the message asking to update the APK version, kind of talking with a machine that do not responded what I asked, but I updated my APK version, submitted again and... Worked. Why? For some reason they will not explain, my guess is they just marked my APK as dirty as an attempt to remove apps that the developers don't update, there's no other logical thing I can think off.
Second App: This one I didn't had a happy end as the previous one, I tried the technique of updating the APK version 6 times, none worked, I asked help on the form (many times), they just copy and paste the message about read the Terms, I started to insist for some details, provided them with many proves that my APK+OBB files sent to Google Play are working fine, and asked for any clue about this "problem", like a device model and Android Version that they experienced it (isn't the minimum they suppose to provide us?) but after requesting this many times, for the first time the support guy called Arthur didn't copied and pasted and finally wrote an email, his answer was:
Hi Developer,
Thanks again for contacting the Google Play Team.
As much as I'd like to help, due to policy, I’m not able to provide any more information or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.
If you have a different question about Google Play policies, please let me know.
Regards,
Arthur
The Google Play Team
It means, he has no information at all about what is the problem, I've trying to solve this for 2 months, our flagship game is threatened of been removed from the store and they can't even explain why, the support team can just copy and paste a generic message without any understanding of our problem and we have no other channel to ask for help.
I'm really disappointed with Google for such poor support for developers.
Well maybe you are missing something, may you are not, and even what Ricky Levi wrote about his case could be just a matter of sending again and none of his changes made any difference. All this process is a mess and there's no channel we can ask for help. (Well technically we can ask for help, the problem is the person that will reply has no idea of your problem and can only copy and paste a non sense message)
In my case it was:
API level was really really low ( 22 vs latest 26+ )
Adding more images to the Play store
Adding privacy policy to the store listing ( at the bottom of the page )

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