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TL;DR

Google Play Console forces to show Permissions Declaration Form (see below) as soon as "Create Release" button clicked even if updated APK uploaded without READ_CALL_LOG which caused the warning email from Google before.

Question

How to avoid the Permissions Declaration Form which looks irrelevant if releasing updated APK without sensitive permissions?

Problem in details

  1. PRODUCTION and ALPHA releases were submitted with READ_CALL_LOG permission before Google emailed about prohibit to use it.

  2. Now, during creating new release and once clicking "Create release" button -- it disappears in favor to "Edit release" button, however, there is no release behind (e.g. in BETA track). The only message "You have a release in production/beta/alpha that hasn't been rolled out" within the respective track section is showing.

  3. There is also warning in App Release menu item "You can't edit this app until you create a new app release declaring sensitive permissions.". So, it would be nice to create release which doesn't use sensitive permissions at all.

Could you please advice.

Not appropriate Permissions Declaration Form

Permissions Declaration Form

enter image description here

Oleg V.
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  • Continue researching, found the [related question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54361014/google-play-console-said-you-cant-edit-this-app-until-you-create-a-new-app-rel?rq=1) with the similar problem discussion touching this issue as well. However, it contains some workarounds with the form submission, then declining... It might be a problem from Google perspective. Hence, it would be nice to find a solution without form submission to avoid misleading in account. – Oleg V. Feb 14 '19 at 11:41
  • I have same problem, hope google first fix their own GooglePlayConsolSite's bug and then ours. – Ravi Vaniya Feb 18 '19 at 12:47
  • @ravi-vaniya could you pls check my answer below -- will this help for you? – Oleg V. Feb 26 '19 at 10:25
  • Sorry @Oleg , but that error is no longer visible and looks like that was Google's bug and may be they have solved. – Ravi Vaniya Feb 26 '19 at 10:30
  • @RaviVaniya thanks for sharing your experience! BTW, did you submit any versions since you saw this error? – Oleg V. Feb 27 '19 at 11:26

4 Answers4

5

How do you even find this form? The dev console is a mess

NeoTechni
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Disclaimer

  • "No" option was removed since mid March (see details in comments), so the suggested solution doesn't work anymore.

Solution (does NOT work since mid March)

  • Upload app binary without sensitive permissions inside, i.e. remove their usage from the app.
  • Submit this version with "No" selected for Compliance Status at "Permissions Declaration Form". Note: at this stage you will see the warning "You must meet the permissions policy..."
  • For the next version all warnings will disappear as soon as app will be submitted. Hence, on the next app upload -- no warning and forms will be appread.

P.S. Unfortunately, there was no options found how to avoid the form at all without app version release.

Oleg V.
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    This only worked up to mid march. After this they started removing apps from the app store and the option to submit a "No" for permissions compliance is no longer available. – Jurgen Strydom Mar 26 '19 at 12:21
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    as stated by @JurgenStrydom they removed the "No" option and for now is impossible to update an app without the permissions. – Paolo Mar 27 '19 at 08:21
  • Dear colleagues, thanks a lot for the update. I've added the disclaimer. Do you know how to deal with this issue for now? – Oleg V. Mar 27 '19 at 13:00
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    Any solution to this since mid March? My app is compliant but got removed anyway. Another app did not – D2TheC Mar 27 '19 at 15:27
  • @DirkConradCoetsee maybe my answer helps you as it did for me. – Yannick Schuchmann Apr 03 '19 at 13:43
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I have also found same issue. Finally i got a solution.

Solution:

  1. Remove the SMS related permission and generate signed APK
  2. Upload APK in beta and try to publish it from beta.
  3. Once beta upload success that SMS compliance form will not display on production realese more.
  4. If you can publish it from beta then fine else upload another APK incrementing version code from manage production
  5. Now you can publish it successfully.
CHIRANJIT BARDHAN
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As stated in comments there isn't a "No" option anymore since mid March 2019.

AFAIC that's because "Google" scans all APKs for included permissions which in fact should make the whole process simpler instead of more confusing.

The solution for me was to check all releases if they contain old APKs and remove/update them first.

In my case it was a very old release down in the internal test track (below Alpha release track). To fix that I had to create a new internal test release with the new APK (the one without the permissions) and deactivate the old APK.

Remember to check that for all stale releases. For me it was just the internal one.

After that you can create a new production release and the permission form should be gone.

Yannick Schuchmann
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