The variety of Google Play moderation rejections has been steadily rising over the previous few years. Necessities for API, knowledge safety, stability, and proper description of performance — all of this has lengthy been extra than simply formalities.
On this article, we’ve compiled essentially the most up-to-date suggestions on making ready for publication: what to think about earlier than submitting an app for moderation, what errors most frequently trigger rejection, and find out how to work successfully with Google tech help if rejection does happen.
Why Getting on Google Play App Retailer Issues
Android is without doubt one of the hottest cellular platforms on this planet. Greater than 3 billion energetic gadgets, and thousands and thousands of potential customers — sounds like several developer’s dream.
Nonetheless, due to its big viewers, Google is particularly attentive to utility safety, knowledge safety, and stability. The slightest violations and the publication is rejected. That’s why it’s vital to know prematurely what necessities Google Play imposes on purposes and find out how to go moderation the primary time.
Step-by-Step: The way to Publish an App on the Google Play Retailer
Even in case you have beforehand had the expertise of releasing an iOS app, remember the fact that Google has a distinct algorithm that require particular consideration. Additionally, there could also be elements of the app that won’t be apparent whereas growing however will transform essential whereas checking.
Google Play Console: Account and Challenge Preparation
Earlier than importing an utility, it’s worthwhile to correctly arrange a developer account and put together primary details about the venture. This step appears easy, however it’s usually the place the place potential causes for app rejection throughout moderation are laid down.
Developer account
To publish in Google Play, it’s worthwhile to register a Google Play Developer Account. You’ll be able to create it as a person or as a corporation — if the appliance is developed for enterprise, it’s higher to decide on a company account immediately.
Through the registration course of, Google verifies the identification of the developer and the accuracy of the information supplied. Errors or inaccuracies at this stage might end in account rejection, making it inconceivable to publish purposes.
Developer Web page
The developer profile should embrace:
- The precise title of the corporate or developer
- A sound e-mail handle for communication
- A working web site (if any)
This knowledge is displayed within the retailer and helps Google confirm the legitimacy of the account.
Privateness Coverage
Google requires an app to have a printed privateness coverage, particularly if it collects or processes consumer knowledge (which just about any app does now).
Your coverage ought to:
- Absolutely describe what knowledge is collected and the way it’s used
- Clarify who the information is shared with and the way it’s protected
- Be accessible through a steady hyperlink (Google checks it)
The hyperlink is specified within the Google Play Console and should result in a working web page with out 404 errors, redirects, or inaccessibility.
Play Integrity API (really helpful)
Though it’s not but a compulsory requirement, Google is actively selling the usage of the Play Integrity API. It helps shield the app from tampering, hacking, and rogue installations. The combination of this API is an effective sign for moderation to concentrate to safety.
APK/AAB: Making ready the Utility Construct
After organising your account and filling within the primary info, the important thing technical stage comes — making ready the app construct. That is the place many of the necessities that Google checks throughout moderation are established.
Utilizing the Android App Bundle (AAB)
The Android App Bundle (AAB) format is now obligatory for publishing new apps to Google Play. It permits Google to dynamically construct optimized APKs for every consumer’s machine, lowering obtain measurement and enhancing efficiency. Should you’re nonetheless utilizing the outdated APK format, it’s time to modify.
Goal API Degree: All the time Up-to-date
Google strictly screens the compliance of apps with present Android variations:
- Each new app is required to make use of the minimal Google Play-supported API goal stage
- There are separate deadlines for updates, which Google publishes prematurely
- Utilizing an outdated API is a frequent motive for the denial of publication
An up to date record of goal API necessities is all the time accessible right here:
Goal API stage necessities
Stability Verify: Actual-world Testing
Google pays particular consideration to utility stability. Moderation might reject a construct throughout pre-release testing or when downloading happens:
- ANR (Utility Not Responding)
- Crashes and crashes throughout launch or runtime
- Compatibility points with totally different gadgets
To attenuate such dangers:
- All the time check the app on actual gadgets, masking totally different Android variations and configurations
- Use Firebase App Distribution to distribute check variations inside the workforce or to a restricted group of customers
- Combine Firebase Crashlytics to gather real-time crash knowledge
These instruments let you proactively detect and repair bugs earlier than submitting your app to Google Play.
Permissions: Minimal Mandatory Entry
Permissions are some of the delicate areas for Google moderators:
- Request solely these permissions which can be truly crucial for the appliance to work
- Any entry to location, digital camera, reminiscence, contacts, SMS, calls, and different delicate knowledge should be justified
- When submitting for publication, Google would require you to elucidate the aim for utilizing every requested permission
- Requesting unreasonable permissions is a typical motive for denial or further overview
App Content material, Pricing, Metadata: Filling within the Utility Data
When the construct is prepared and uploaded, the subsequent vital stage comes — filling in all of the details about the app within the Google Play Console. Right here moderators look not on the code, however on the method you describe the performance, work with consumer knowledge, and design the app’s pages within the retailer.
Description of the Utility — Honesty and Consistency With Performance
The applying description ought to replicate its precise performance as precisely as doable. You will need to keep away from conditions when the outline claims options that aren’t current within the utility or work in a different way than said — this is without doubt one of the frequent causes for rejection throughout moderation.
The textual content needs to be clear, skilled, and trustworthy, with out extreme advertising and marketing guarantees or exaggerations. Google pays specific consideration to probably deceptive language, so any claims concerning the app’s options ought to match its precise features.
Additionally, don’t overuse key phrases within the description — makes an attempt to artificially improve the visibility of the app by way of spammy or irrelevant phrases might end in further scrutiny or rejection of the publication.
Media content material (Screenshots, Icons, Movies)
All visible supplies — screenshots, icons, movies — should precisely display the precise operation of the appliance. The usage of photographs that mislead the consumer or don’t replicate the precise performance is unacceptable.
Google rigorously checks screenshots for accuracy, prohibited, offensive, or inappropriate content material, and compliance with basic design necessities.
For instance, textual content in screenshots shouldn’t take up nearly all of the picture — the main target needs to be on the appliance interface and consumer expertise. Compliance with these guidelines helps keep away from pointless checks and will increase belief from each customers and moderators.
Google Play Content material Coverage
Google Play strictly enforces its content material coverage. The platform prohibits the publication of apps that include malicious, offensive, or unlawful content material, violate copyrights, or use misleading monetization and knowledge assortment schemes.
Any type of manipulation of customers’ private info, hidden charges, or deception might trigger the app to be rejected or eliminated. If the app contains monetization of digital content material, all funds should undergo the official Google Play Billing fee system — the usage of third-party fee programs is prohibited on this case.
Failure to adjust to these necessities might consequence not solely within the rejection of the publication but additionally within the full elimination of the app from the shop.
Pricing
If the appliance is distributed on a business foundation, it’s essential to specify the worth prematurely. After publication, it is going to be rather more tough to vary the worth of a free app to a paid model, so you will need to make this alternative earlier than sending it for moderation.
For in-app monetization (buy of options, content material, subscriptions), all funds should be accurately arrange through Google Play Billing. Utilizing third-party fee programs for digital content material is towards Google’s coverage and will result in publication rejection.
Information Security
The Information Security part is without doubt one of the most delicate and completely checked by Google Play moderation. The developer should totally and actually specify all forms of consumer knowledge that the app collects: private, technical, location, and some other knowledge.
It is usually crucial to tell whether or not this knowledge is transferred to 3rd events, whether or not third-party SDKs and companies are used, in addition to point out whether or not encryption and safety measures are used within the transmission and storage of knowledge.
As well as, you must describe the aim for which the information is collected, whether or not it’s for analytics, personalization, promoting, or different functions.
Content material Score Questionnaire
Each app printed on Google Play should go a content material score questionnaire. All solutions within the questionnaire should be correct and truthful. If the app comprises user-generated content material (e.g., chats, boards, social options), inside promoting, or offers with delicate matters, this could all the time be thought of when deciding on an age class.
Goal Viewers and Content material
The age class of the audience is specified individually within the questionnaire. If the appliance is geared toward youngsters, it’s topic to a particular Program for households with particular and stricter necessities.
If the audience is grownup customers, you will need to specify this accurately to keep away from pointless restrictions or further checks. It’s not really helpful to pick a broader viewers “simply in case” — this may occasionally additionally set off further checks from Google.
Evaluate Timelines
After submitting your app to Google Play Console, the moderation stage begins. You will need to perceive how the method works, what to anticipate, and find out how to act in case of rejection.
Moderation Timeframe
Utility validation can take wherever from a number of hours to 3-7 enterprise days. When you’ve got advanced performance, delicate permissions, or a particular audience, the method might take longer. Google doesn’t set a hard and fast timeframe — the extra advanced the app, the longer the moderation course of will take.
Making ready for Potential Rejection
Even with correct preparation, an app might be rejected — as a consequence of rule updates or outcomes of computerized checks. After rejection, the developer receives an e-mail and a notification in Play Console. You will need to analyze the e-mail rigorously: the usual textual content is usually supplemented with a particular motive for rejection. The commonest causes are:
- Non-compliance with the required Goal API Degree;
- Unreasonable permissions are requested;
- Errors or incompleteness within the privateness coverage;
- Underestimated age score or errors within the audience questionnaire;
- The said performance within the description doesn’t correspond to the precise performance.
Along with the explanation for the denial, Google’s letter might check with particular paperwork from the official documentation — these references ought to all the time be studied to know the precise nature of the violation.
Working with Google Help and Moderation Guidelines
In case your utility is rejected, however you might be certain that the rejection is unjustified — there’s all the time a chance to problem the choice. Google Play Console has a particular attraction kind for this objective.
You will need to describe the essence of the state of affairs in as a lot element and clearly as doable, connect screenshots, movies and some other supplies that may verify the corrections or compliance of the appliance with the principles of the platform.
The extra particular and clear your attraction is, the upper the possibilities for a fast and optimistic resolution. In advanced and controversial instances, you’ll be able to contact a separate Google help workforce through the Coverage Help kind.
The primary rule of publishing stays the identical: by no means attempt to cheat moderately. Google actively detects any makes an attempt to avoid the principles — whether or not it’s importing a light-weight construct for moderation after which changing the code, hidden performance, bypassing permission restrictions, or utilizing hidden SDKs activated by way of the server.
For such actions Google applies the hardest sanctions: not solely rejects the publication, however may also fully block the developer’s account with deletion of all printed purposes with out the potential of restoration.
Prime Causes for Google Play Retailer Rejection
Many apps are turned down throughout Google Play moderation even with nice planning.
Listed below are the principle causes you must pay particular consideration to:
Privateness and Information Assortment Violations
- Incomplete or inaccurate knowledge in Information Security
- Lacking or incorrect Privateness Coverage
- Unreported third-party SDKs
- Unreasonable knowledge assortment functions
Deceptive Metadata
- Promising non-existent skills
- Exaggerated wording
- Inaccurate screenshots
- Key phrase spamming
Delicate Permissions
- Requesting unreasonable permissions (location, contacts, digital camera, reminiscence, calls)
- Failure to elucidate the aim of every permission
- Makes an attempt to realize extreme entry to the machine with no clear want
Inappropriate Content material
- Violence, abuse, discrimination, pornography
- Hidden subscriptions, deceptive purchases
- Violations of native legal guidelines
- Weak moderation of user-generated content material
Copyright/IP Points
- Unlicensed use of music, photographs, movies
- Infringement of logos and types
- Copying interfaces or ideas of different purposes
The way to Keep away from Rejection
With a purpose to go Google Play moderation the primary time (and to not waste time debating with help), we’ve put collectively a easy and workable guidelines for you. Undergo it earlier than every publication — and the probabilities of rejection will lower dramatically.
Earlier than Publication:
- Remember to check the app on actual gadgets. Bugs on totally different fashions usually pop up throughout testing.
- Run the checks through Google Play Console. Pre-launch Report will make it easier to discover crucial bugs prematurely: crashes, hangs, and efficiency points.
- Use check tracks in Google Play: inside, closed, or open — to check the app on a restricted viewers earlier than the official launch.
Google’s Necessities:
- Undergo the official coverage checklists. Google itself supplies useful lists for the principle sections — privateness, permissions, knowledge assortment, age restrictions, and so on.
- Verify the Information Security part. All knowledge that the app collects, transmits, or processes — should be trustworthy and detailed.
- Replace the Privateness Coverage. It needs to be full, updated, at a working hyperlink, with no redirects or “404 Not Discovered”.
- Be sure to’re solely asking for the proper permissions. No “simply in case” — each permission should be justified.
Technical Stability:
- Join Firebase Crashlytics. It’ll make it easier to catch and rapidly repair utility failures.
- Use Firebase App Distribution for workforce testing. This manner you’ll get suggestions even earlier than importing for moderation.
- Combine Play Integrity API. That is an extra plus for app safety.
Proper Earlier than the Launch:
- Verify the outline, screenshots, and movies. The whole lot a consumer sees in Google Play ought to strictly correspond to what she or he will get after set up.
- Don’t attempt to trick the system with stunning however unrealistic promo supplies.
- Specify the right age class and audience. You don’t want to pick a wider viewers — there isn’t any want for pointless verification.
Within the Case of a Rejection:
- Learn the Google e-mail rigorously. Typically, vital particulars are hidden within the textual content itself or in references to official paperwork.
- Put together well-reasoned appeals. Screenshots, movies, detailed explanations — the clearer your place, the upper the possibility that the moderation will rethink the choice.
Remaining Ideas
Earlier than submitting your app for overview to the Apple App Retailer or Google Play, it’s important not solely to go the obligatory performance test but additionally to care for assembly the necessities of the platforms prematurely.
Correct design of retailer itemizing, preparation of right app icon, description of app content material, organising fee programs, and privateness — all this impacts how easily the app overview will go.
On the stage of preparation for publication, attempt to completely check your app on totally different gadgets to make it possible for it really works stably in several circumstances. This may make it easier to detect doable bugs prematurely and keep away from disagreeable surprises after the discharge.
It is usually value ensuring that your app meets all the present platform necessities: from the API stage to the principles of consumer knowledge processing. Should you plan to launch not solely on iOS but additionally on Android, take care to satisfy the necessities of each platforms.
Remember to test how your app works inside the app when utilizing totally different situations. That is very true for apps which can be associated to cellular app growth for enterprise or include advanced performance. Even minor deviations can result in delays or failures in validation.
To keep away from issues, it’s value going by way of the checklists beforehand: be sure your app asks for under the mandatory permissions, comprises an up-to-date privateness coverage, and actually describes all performance within the retailer itemizing. Ideally, contain professionals within the course of to assist make sure that your app is totally prepared for publication and meets all necessities.
Should you don’t need to perceive all of the nuances your self, the SCAND workforce is prepared that will help you at any stage. We audit apps earlier than they’re printed, make it easier to create a correct retailer itemizing, test all of the features contained in the app, assess compliance with Google Play and Apple App Retailer necessities, and put together full documentation for app overview.
Because of our in depth expertise in cellular app growth, we all know find out how to put together the app in order that the moderation course of is as quick as doable and with out pointless rejections.
