Publishing status: Rejected Playstore Android

Question

I have removed all the sensitive permissions for the app.

In the Compliance status, I selected Yes, this release meets the SMS and Call Log permissions policy

In the Core functionality I selected SMS-based financial transactions and related activity where access is restricted to financial SMS transactions (for example, 5-digit messages)

and submitted the app to playstore.

After reviewing the build got rejected and got this response,

The declared functionality {Default SMS handler (and any other core functionality usage while default handler), Default Phone handler (and any other core functionality usage while default handler)} is determined to be unnecessary or not aligned with the core functionality of your app.

I am not using any of the sensitive permissions but still, the build got rejected.

As I am not using the permission for the core functionality, it is not allowing the save and rollout without selecting any core functionality.

So, How to proceed with this to get the build approved.

Cognizable

But why are you using this facility? You don't need to use this if you just want to read OTP from sms, you can read the broadcast, and also SMS-based financial transaction is a different thing - which directly interacts with bank. like UPI – Selfpossession

I was doing this earlier,but now I have removed the permission – Cognizable

try deleting all previous apks from google play, and proceed with only new one. – Selfpossession

See https://mcmap.net/q/850380/-why-i-getting-quot-sms-and-call_log-permissions-warning-quot , check if you have any other permissions , else delete older APKS – Joselynjoseph

@ManoharReddy I had one apk in beta release, so a created a new release in beta in which I have removed all the sensitive permission. And then released it to production. My app got updated on the playstore. But still did not get the approval or rejection email from google play – Cognizable

Hope you have a good luck this time – Joselynjoseph

Ya lets see. But I am wondering that still why I did not receive any email. Because I have received the app update email. – Cognizable

You don't get an email on approval normally. You can just see in the Play console your app is published – Screening

@NickFortescue when our app is getting rejected, we are getting the email. So If the app is approved, there should be an email for the confirmation right? – Cognizable

I don't believe so. Rejection is unusual, and normally approval is common and fast. You just see the publish is successful – Screening

They have given deadline till March 9 to meet sms and call permission policy. If we fail then they will remove our apk from play store.How can we know that our app meets the new policies without approval email from google. – Twopenny