Android app update rejected by Google Play while trying to publish it. What should I do next?

Question

My app update has been rejected and wasn't published due to a policy violation.

The reason is for some security reasons we've blacklisted certain countries and their IPs from our network. Due to that Google Play developer were not able to access the privacy policy URL in the store listing.

Email from google regarding rejection:

Publishing status: Rejected

After review, your app has been rejected and wasn't published due to a policy violation. If you submitted an update, the previous version of your app is still available on Google Play. However, your app may be subject to removal if you do not resolve the issue outlined below by October 1, 2019.

Reasons of violation

Issue: Violation of Families Policy Requirements Apps that contain elements that appeal to children must comply with all Families Policy Requirements. We found the following issue(s) with your app:

Eligibility Issue

Privacy policy

You must provide a link to your app's privacy policy on your app's store listing page. This link must be maintained at all times while the app is available on Google Play, and it must link to a privacy policy that, among other things, accurately describes your app’s data collection and use. Please provide a link to a valid privacy policy in your app's store listing page in the Play Console. For more details, please refer to the Privacy policy section (#6) of the Families Policy Requirements.

What I did

I contacted Google via support email [[email protected]] two days [actually asked on Saturday (21/09/19)] back asking them to kindly share their location where they’re trying to access our privacy policy URL so that we can add it to our white-list.

They provided me the 48 hours time they will respond. But Google is not responding to my emails.

What should I do next?

Thanks.

Purview

Open Google Play Console, Go to your app which is rejected, from menu select Store presence->Store Listing, scroll down to bottom of page and find last section Privacy policy. Here you'll need to provide working link of privacy policy of your app. – Rik

@JeelVankhede thanks for the comment actually I've already provided the privacy URL but it is not accessible at their location and I've sent email in order to provide me their location so that we can add it into our white list. But google is not responding to my emails. – Purview

Okay, then try to make it available publicly. Basically it should be accessible without any restrictions worldwide. – Rik

Answer 1

Understand the following points:

1. Privacy policy URL should be globally accessible.

2. If you're having security concerns with your URL to make it globally accessible then,

make the Privacy Policy page accessible for all and apply the location-based security to the rest of the website. You can either edit the security privacy for privacy page or use blogger or something similar. Either way, privacy policy URL should be globally accessible. For more, you can contact security experts.

3. If you're excepting Google to respond with their location then you're just wrong. Forget about it.

Dingdong

Thanks after separating privacy policy URL and making globally accessible, app update is live now....cheers – Purview

Can you please tell me what was the exact solution 'separating privacy policy URL and making globally accessible'? – Arette

@VivekGiri I placed the privacy policy URL on a place that can be accessed from anywhere like google blogger or something. – Purview

Answer 2

As of February 2021, the Google Play Console privacy policy link section is moved to another page.

Steps By Steps Guide To Access Privacy Policy Link Section:

1. Go to Google Play Console.
2. On left side bar, select App content under Policy section.

3. On App content page, select Manage under Privacy policy section.

4. On Privacy Policy page, add your app privacy policy url in the input box and click Save button.

5. Done!

Edinburgh

After doing this, should we submit a new app version? Even if the app has the right link? – Drona

@LucianoBrum take a look at this answer https://mcmap.net/q/850353/-android-app-update-rejected-by-google-play-while-trying-to-publish-it-what-should-i-do-next – Swear

Answer 3

I had faced a similar situation. My privacy policy URL was broken. So after editing the privacy policy URL from "Policy status" which can be accessible from the left menu section under the "Policy" Section at the bottom of the left menu.

To send to review you have to select "Publishing overview" from the left menu and you can see your changes in the review. And you can send the app for review

Brandiebrandise

Do we need to create new version with new build as well? Or can we just update the privacy policy and send for review, in case of removed apps? – Letha

No, just update the privacy policy URL. Changes will be listed "Publish Overview" page. – Brandiebrandise

Answer 4

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, why I told this long story? To tell you that the person on the support, when them reply to you probably will write a generic message and this will not be someone who actually tested your app, and this person has no idea how to help you because he is not technical and has no way of forwarding you to someone else.

We are in the same boat.

Owades

Answer 5

For those having trouble adding the privacy policy link follow these steps:

Add a privacy policy

1 Sign in to your Play Console.

2 Select an app.

3 Select Store presence > App content.

4 Under "Privacy Policy," click Start or Manage.

This is how it is described here, in the official documentation.

Adame

Answer 6

It was about permission, you should enter a URL of your Plicoy privacy, you should mention permission used in the app and in which condition this permission are used.

Where to put the Policy privacy URL?

Open the Google Play Console, select the app concerned, under Store presence select Store Listing and you can find Privacy Policy at the bottom of the page.

Crowell

In my console there is no section for privacy policy URL in store listing . Where should I put it ? – Manuel

There used to be a privacy policy link section at the end of the page of Store Listing and now its gone :/ – Vivisection

@Bolas See my answer. https://mcmap.net/q/850353/-android-app-update-rejected-by-google-play-while-trying-to-publish-it-what-should-i-do-next – Adame

Answer 7

please go to your google console -> select your App -> in the left side bar under policy(at the bottom) -> click on App content -> then click on privacy policy and enter your url. Thanks

Rev

Answer 8

In my case the problem was that the hosting service didn't support https

Google does not complain if you add a http link in privacy policy , but they will reject it

Willywillynilly

Answer 9

There will be lot of reasons the update may be rejected.
I tried changing "privacy policy", but same rejection notice.

After checking different buttons, got the (red dot) notice in:
Policy status. I filled all the questions with correct information and viola.

Glasswork