Play Store Pre-Flight

Store listing & policy forms

0/5 clear

Data safety form matches what the app actually does The single most common rejection I see. Blocker Reviewers diff your declaration against the SDKs in your build. An analytics or ads SDK that collects device IDs while your form says "no data collected" is an instant reject. List every third-party SDK, then declare what each one sends. Privacy policy URL is live, public and app-specific Required for every app, not just ones collecting data. Blocker It must load without a login, name your app, and cover the data you declared. A 404, a Google Doc set to "restricted", or a generic template with another app's name in it all fail. Account deletion is offered in-app and on the web Applies to any app where users can create an account. Blocker You need both: a path inside the app, and a publicly reachable URL that works without installing anything. The web URL goes in the Play Console data safety section. Screenshots show the real app, at the real device size No mockup frames, no marketing copy pasted over the UI. Common Screenshots promising features that aren't in the build get flagged as misleading. Upload plain captures from a real device or emulator, and include tablet sizes if you declare tablet support. Title and description are free of ranking bait No "best", no "#1", no competitor names, no keyword walls. Common Also drop emoji from the title, and never put "free" or a price in it. Metadata rejections are fast to fix but cost you a full review cycle.

Permissions & declarations

0/4 clear

Every permission in the manifest is actually used Leftovers from a removed library count against you. Blocker Run ./gradlew :app:processReleaseManifest and read the merged manifest — libraries inject permissions you never wrote. Strip the unused ones with tools:node="remove". Sensitive permissions have a filled-in declaration form Background location, all-files access, SMS, call log, camera. Blocker Each needs its own form in Play Console explaining the core feature that requires it — plus, for most of them, a short demo video showing that feature in use. "Nice to have" is not an accepted reason. Photo and video access is scoped, not blanket The photo picker beats broad media permissions. Common If a one-off pick is all you need, use the system photo picker and drop READ_MEDIA_IMAGES entirely — broad media access needs a justification form your app probably can't win. Foreground services declare a type and show a notification Untyped services fail on modern Android targets. Common Set foregroundServiceType on every service, match it to a permission in the manifest, and fill the foreground service use case form in Play Console.

Build & runtime

0/5 clear

Release build runs clean on a fresh install Debug works, release crashes — the classic. Blocker Install the signed release AAB on a device that has never seen the app, deny every permission prompt, and walk the main flow. R8 stripping a class your reflection needs is the usual culprit — check your proguard-rules.pro. Target API level meets the current Play requirement Play Console warns you before it blocks the upload. Blocker The bar moves every year, so read the warning banner on your release page rather than trusting a number from a blog post. Bumping targetSdk means retesting permissions and background work, not just changing one line. Login-gated apps ship working test credentials A reviewer who can't get past your login rejects the app. Blocker Put a real, non-expiring demo account in the App access section — and check it still works before every submission. If you use OTP login, provide a bypass code for the test number. The app does something useful without an account Or the login is genuinely essential to the core feature. Common Apps whose only screen is a sign-up wall get flagged as low value. Let a first-time user see real content before you ask for anything. Ads follow the families and interstitial rules If you serve ads at all. Common No full-screen ad on app open before the user does anything, no ad that can't be dismissed, and no ad that traps a back press. Apps in Designed for Families have a stricter ad SDK list.