Google play incorrectly warns about com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID

Question

I recently received this message when I tried to upload my app:

This release includes the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission but your declaration on Play Console says your app doesn't use advertising ID.

I have no adds and don't explicitly have that permission, but I understand from here that something from firebase auth might use it - so I fill in that I use this permission - this then triggers another error that I said I'm using AD_ID but I didn't mention that I'm using Ads. If I then mention that I'm using Ads (I'm not), the Console tells me that I have to take special care that my ads (which I don't have) don't target children under 13, or else I need to say my app is for 13 and over.

If I change my app to say it's for 13 and Over I get a warning that if it looks like it's targeting kids I will be removed!!!

What on earth have I done wrong??? I don't even have ads or want ads, and now I'm being warned I cannot let any child under 13 download my app?

Is there someone who can advise me how to upload my totally innocuous app without triggering the wrath of Google Play??

Affliction

Answer 1

Go to your merged manifest and check if there com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID is included. You can find the merged manifest here

<project>/<module>/build/intermediates/merged_manifests/<build_flavor_name>

Maybe one of your dependencies includes that permission and if its like that you are forced to:

• Remove that dependency from your project

or

• Include the permission in your main manifest and change your advertising ID declaration in Google Play Console.

Cordovan

Thank you. I do indeed see that permission in the merged manifest. As I said in my question, the other places I checked suggested that firebase.auth is using that which meansGoogle are flagging me for their own SDK (which by the way, does NOT show ads). But you are right anyway, the correct thing to do was to bite the bullet and say "yes I have ads" even though I don't - if this doesn't go well, I'll leave another note, but for now I'm accepting this answer – Affliction

yes! I have also faced a problem while submitting the new update. as many people suggest I choose "YES" and mark "Analysis". this solves the problem. I have an ad but I don't have any implicitly declared add unit. – Wegner

Alternatively remove the third party permission from your manifest like in this SO answer. – Lieselotteliestal

How to find out which dependency is causing the issue? – Farmelo

run dependencies command in gradle – Cockayne

why does Firebase add this if we don't have any ads in the app? – Orfield

Answer 2

In case a depenency (such as firebase) injects the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission and you don't want to remove this dependency, you can simply add this line to your manifest.json:

<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID" tools:node="remove"/>

Thereby, you can prevent that this permission will be added.

Hutt

Thanks, I need to check if this works – Affliction

why does Firebase add this if we don't have any ads in the app? – Orfield