When I uploaded a new .apk to the Google Play store, its uploaded but even after some time, it rejected my submission saying, "Your recent app submission was rejected for violating the Permissions policy. Before submitting your app for another review, read through the policy and make sure your app is in compliance".
After that, I have updated Apk file with the new version and attached with a video link and its shows your app is not meet with call and SMS permission. Please Help me out this issue how to live my app again. Mainly I have already filled up the google permission form.
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We have encountered this problem, when uploaded a new .apk to the Google Play store. Our new apk is meet new Google Permissions Policy about SMS and CALL. We remove these permissions from app completely and provide a video link, but our app update was rejected according to these permissions.
Google support team sent an email to solve this issue as follow;
To solve this issue, you will have to discard the draft artifacts containing sensitive permissions and create a new release without those permissions.
Here is how to check within the Play Console:
Go to Release Management > Artifact Library
Expand Active APKs and Draft APKs
Expand Required Permissions for each APK
You may also want to review the Permissions policy and review the Use of SMS or Call Log permission groups help article, which describes intended uses, exceptions, invalid uses, and alternative implementation options for additional guidance.
Related
Hi Developers at Ministerio de Telecomunicaciones Ecuador,
Per last email, your app FirmaEC (ec.gob.firmadigital.firmaec_app) has been rejected from Google Play for not resolving the previously communicated policy issue (copied below for your reference). To resolve this issue and get your app changes published on Google Play, please address the issues highlighted in the earlier email and resubmit the app.
Publishing Status
App Status: Rejected
Your app has been rejected and wasn't published due to the policy issue(s) listed below. If you submitted an update, the previous version of your app is still available on Google Play.
Issue found: Permission use is not directly related to your app's core purpose.
We found that your app is not compliant with how REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission is allowed to be used. Specifically, the use of the permission is not directly related to the core purpose of the app.
Issue details
We found an issue in the following area(s):
SPLIT_BUNDLE 15
Additionally, follow these steps to bring your app into compliance:
Please remove the use of REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission from your app.
About the Request Install Packages Permission
The REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission allows an application to request the installation of app packages. To use this permission, your app’s core functionality must include:
Sending or receiving app packages, AND
Enabling user-initiated installation of app packages.
Permitted functionalities include any of the following:
Web browsing or search
Communication services that support attachments
File sharing, transfer or management
Enterprise device management
Backup and restore
Device migration / phone transfer
The REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission may not be used to perform self updates, modifications, or the bundling of other APKs in the asset file unless for device management purposes. All updates or installing of packages must abide by Google Play’s Device and Network Abuse policy and must be initiated and driven by the user.
For more help addressing this issue, read more in our Help Center.
Action required: Submit an updated app for review
Here's what to do to help get your app on Google Play:
Make sure to read the applicable policies or requirements listed below:
Request Install Packages Permission
Make appropriate changes to your app (if possible), and be sure to address the issue described above. You may also want to check your app's store listing for compliance, if applicable.
Double check that your app is compliant with all other Developer Program Policies.
If you made changes to your app bundle, store listing, or APK, please sign in to your Play Console and submit the update(s).
Contact support
If you've reviewed the policy and feel our decision may have been in error, please reach out to our policy support team. We'll get back to you within 2 business days.
try:
App is not compliant with how REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission is allowed
According to the Requesting access to background location, Google Play requires a strict(er) set of requirements to be able to use background permissions for apps installed via the Google Play store. It provides a set of guidelines which have to be fulfilled to allow an app to enter- or remain in the store with said permissions. According to the document, it states:
May: Developers can request feedback on their use case via the Play Console with an estimated reply time of two weeks.
Having adjusted the app we have in the store, we're ready for a review to see if everything is correctly implemented. The documentation states that feedback can be requested through the Play Console, but I don't see any such option. How do we go about request a reviewing so that we can keep background permissions for the continued operation of our app?
If you don't use background location service. From your AndroidManifest.xml file, remove
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION" />
or if some of external libraries want to use background location service but you don't, add this to your AndroidManifest.xml file
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION"
tools:node="remove" />
Then open the play store console, select the app in the console > App Content > Sensitive app permission > Manage > Location permissions > Manage
And select "No" option like below and Save it.
After those processes, your app rejection / removing will be gone after google confirm your policy.
The form can be submitted through the new Google Play Console.
It has a top level navigation item now.
Select the app in the console > Policy > App policy > Sensitive app permission > Manage.
I've just talked to the Play Console Support Team. This is not available yet. Google is still working on it and updates will be provided on the blog:
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/02/safer-location-access.html
They're apologising for the delay ;)
June update from the blog:
In February, we announced developers will need to get approval to
access background location in their app to prevent misuse. We're
giving developers more time to make changes and won't be enforcing the
policy for existing apps until 2021.
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/06/
I have received the following instructions from Google Support in order to submit an existing app for their evaluation against their new location policy:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9214102?hl=en
From their email:
"When you complete the Permissions Declaration Form and roll out your release, your app will be subject to an extended review by the Google Play team. Your request may require up to several weeks to process. During this time your new app or app update will be in a pending publication status until your request is reviewed. Your app will also be subject to the standard compliance review against Google Play's Developer Program Policies.
Once your Permission Declaration has been approved and your app has been approved for policy compliance, your release will be published and you can once again use the Publishing API to manage your releases. Otherwise, the Google Play team will notify you if your Permissions Declaration request has been rejected and provide any additional information."
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, you need to add 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. Issue is resolved.
My previous app apk had a permission of SMS_RECEVIE which is now unpublished from production.
It was done by some other developer so I don't have any details about it.
Now I have uploaded a new apk on beta which do not have any SMS_RECEVIE permission which got rejected.
please suggest me what to do now.
Remove SMS permission from manifest if your app requires just reading OTP.
Use SMS retriever API
https://developers.google.com/identity/sms-retriever/overview
Google has sent a mail to you regarding this. you might need to submit that form once again.
wait for 24 hrs.
Or
Upload a new version of your APK and submit a permissions declaration form to enable further review.
Well, since you have already removed the SMS_RECIEVE from the app, there should be no more problem with publishing the app.
Just go to play console and publish your new app as a production release. It'll take some time to be published. Anyway if there is not any other violations or issues the app will be published. You can remove your beta release as well.
We have removed the sms and call_log permissions. Here are the permissions we have on our app now
But still, we are getting the below interface on google play console
As 9th March is the deadline for this issue, we wanted to get this fixed immediately. Any help is appreciated
I had a Live chat with Google Play Support and resolved it.
The solution is as follows:
Create a new build (apk) and push it on to all visible sections to deactivate all the existing or old builds. I have pushed a new apk to below sections
Internal Testing
Alpha
Beta
Prod
Note: If you are not using sms or call log permissions, please select
"No, this release does not meet the SMS and Call Log permissions policy".
Otherwise select
"Yes, this release meets the SMS and Call Log permissions policy" and provide with all specific details.
If you are not using these permissions, you should not be seeing this warning after uploading new build.
This is an issue on the google play console.
If you sure that your final apk doesn't have any sensitive permission.
You must deactivate all previous apk that have sensitive permission on every track (internal, alpha, beta, production)
You can view all existing activate apk on the Artifact library on the left side menu
to deactivate previous apk, you must upload new apk and complete the permission form by ticking “No, this release does not meet the SMS and Call Log permissions policy” on the form.
** I known it doesn't make sense that we need to tick "No, this release ....". But this is the instruction from google support and I also use the same method to solve it recently.
I am adding some Admin permission in manifest. after 2 days wait its not publishing app on play store with this permissions. I listed below that permissions
BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN
DEVICE_ADMIN_DISABLE_REQUESTED
DEVICE_ADMIN_ENABLED
Now, while i am trying to publish that app in play store at that time app successful upload but it's not publishing. It's every time show "Pending publication". And while i remove this permission it's published Successful.
So, any one can tell me that what is the reason behind this issue. Why play store not publishing my app with that permission?
Read through the Deceptive Device Settings Changes policy for more details, and make sure your app complies with all policies listed in the Developer Program Policies.
If you don't need the BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN permission in your app:
Remove your request for this permission from your app's manifest.
Sign in to your Play Console and submit the modified, policy compliant APK.
Or,
if you need the BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN permission in your app:
Include the following snippet in your app’s store listing description:
“This app uses the Device Administrator permission.”
Provide prominent user facing disclosure of this usage before asking the user to enable this permission within your app. Your disclosure must meet each of the following requirements:
Disclosure must be displayed in normal course of usage of your app. Your users should not be required to navigate into a menu or settings to view disclosure.
Disclosure must describe the functionality Device Admin permission is enabling for your app. Each security policy used with the Device Admin request must be declared in your disclosure, and each policy must be accompanied with justification for the request.
Disclosure cannot only be placed in your privacy policy, terms of service or end user license agreement (EULA).
If approved, your app will again be available with all installs, ratings, and reviews intact.
Publishing status
(https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/xkxQuf-oDck)
Near the top of individual apps’ pages on your Developer Console, you can see your app’s latest publishing status. Whether you’re publishing an app for the first time or making an update, you can use your publishing status to understand your app’s availability on Google Play.
Here are the different statuses that can be displayed for your app:
Draft: App hasn’t been published on Google Play.
Note: If the Publish app option isn’t available, click Why can’t I publish? for more information or check your app’s pages on the left menu to make sure you’ve included all required information for your app.
Pending publication: App is currently being processed for publishing.
Published: App is published and available on Google Play.
Rejected: App has been rejected and wasn’t published due to a violation of Google Play policies. More information about the violation is available near the top of your app’s pages on the Developer Console. Once you make a change to your app to address the violation, you can submit it again.
Suspended: App is suspended due to a violation of Google Play Policies (Content Policy, Developer Distribution Agreement). An email with details about the suspension is sent to the account owner.