How to delete an app bundle from play console 2022

Question

I have an application that had some unnecessary permissions added to the Android Manifest file due to which the first version of the app has those permissions declared and that is background location access permission. When I rolled that to production, my app got rejected saying that I do not have declared prominent disclosure. I added that and submitted the app but then they started to say that the app has no usage of background permission access. I removed the permissions and then submitted them again but still, the issue remains the same and they are not accepting the application. In my newer versions, the background permission is not there but the google play support team says that maybe an older version is still getting that permission due to which the app cannot be submitted.

On the play console under the Release section, I cannot remove/deactivate/suspend the first version that has those permissions. How to do this the right way in 2022? There are some answers from previous years but they don't work now may be because the console dashboard has changed a lot and google policies also

Rosefish

In your release, do you have a single artifact (APK/AAB) or multiple? – Artist

I have single .aab file for every release @Artist – Rosefish

It's unlikely then that the issue is with other artifacts, the review should only review artifacts from the release, i.e. that are served to users. Are you sure that the permission isn't also introduced by one of your dependency? Check the merged manifest in the outputs. Also, what is the actual error message you get from Play? And finally, do you have older artifacts in testing tracks? – Artist

@Pierre, yes I do have older artifacts in testing tracks and there is no way I can suspend them. I have paused them however but upon submitting an appeal to google they said that, "I’ve reviewed your appeal request and found that your app, app bundle version 1 on Internal Testing track), still violates Google Play Policy. I’ve included details below about the specific issue with your app and what you can do to get your app back on Google Play." I think I need to update the testing tracks with newer versions also. But I am not sure if this will work. – Rosefish

Yes, updating the APK/AAB on the testing tracks is the way to go. You can't delete an APK/AAB that has been published. Updating it will solve your problem. – Artist

@LybaKashif did you find any resolution, facing the same problem, And when I try to update the version on testing track, it showing the same error and shows the production bundle as problem. It's kind of deadlock – Ferguson

@ShashankSrivastava I almost forgot how I was able to get out of that issue But I remember that the above answer by Pierre was a way to resolve this issue. You probably need to update the apps in all channels if any of the apk is using the undeclared permissions then the play console won't allow you to delete or deactivate it. You have to update the apk in all channels first. – Rosefish

Hi, I updated all test channels but the production, and I got rejected again... could you update the production too? (and did you increase the version code?) – Paley

@SUPERYAO yes you need to update the version code. Yes I was able to update the production after updating all channels. – Rosefish