console google play: developers can fix their apps before they’re removed

console google play adding new features

Unintentional policy infractions. It occurs to the most well-intentioned of us. You have no idea what went wrong, yet Google nevertheless took your app down following an update, with only a hazy explanation of what went wrong and what you can do to remedy it. This may be an error, but it's also possible that Google had a reason to do so—even if you don't know what that reason is or if you weren't aware that it was against their terms. Fortunately, Google is introducing new tools in the console google play to try to prevent this.

During a lecture at Google I/O 2021 titled "New tools to help you build safer apps on Google Play," Google announced several future changes to the console google play that would allow developers to make adjustments to their app before it is removed for a policy violation.

First, the Google Play Console's "policy status" page under the "policy and programs" section will soon provide you with warnings about potential policy violations as well as for instructions on how to correct them before any enforcement actions are taken (but only for specific types of policy violations that Google hasn't specified).

console google play delete apps

Second, Google is finally striving to reduce the number of app removals caused by things the SDKs it uses do, rather than by policy breaches in the app itself. Third-party SDKs are quite common in apps, with Google claiming that SDK code makes up the bulk of the average app's code rather than proprietary code. Even if the SDK's code isn't owned by the app, Google Play holds the developer liable for what that code accomplishes. Because most app developers lack the skills or tools to audit all of the SDKs they use, Google is now collaborating with prominent SDK providers to make them safer.

The Google Play SDK Console early access program began last year with partners such as AppsFlyer, AppLovin, mopub, and branch, and Google is now releasing a front-end for the SDK Console that allows SDK providers to register and manage their SDKs, report issues with their SDKs, and view usage statistics and crash reporting. This creates a direct line of communication between Google, the SDK provider, and the app developer, allowing Google to provide SDK suggestions based on the provider's reports.

When an issue arises, developers can receive warnings in the console google play regarding unsupported or non-compliant versions of the SDKs they're using, allowing them to make changes before their app is penalized. However, this can only be done if an app developer publishes his or her library dependencies with Google. The library dependencies of apps that use the Android App Bundle (AAB) format (which will eventually be required for all apps on Google Play) will be exchanged automatically. Starting with Android Gradle Plugin 4.0, apps generated as APKs will have their library dependencies shared automatically, however, developers can opt-out of sharing their library dependencies.

What are your thoughts on these changes?