A few days ago I got the following e-mail:
Action Required: Your app is not compliant with Google Play Policies (Battery Overlay Percent Key)
Issue found: App installation
During testing we experienced installation issues with your app and were unable to successfully evaluate it for compliance with Families Policy Requirements.Your app may face additional enforcement actions, if you do not resolve this issue by March 18, 2024.
Issue details
We found an issue in the following area(s):
- Version code 1
To bring your app into compliance, follow these steps:Ensure your app can install successfully and resubmit the app.
About the Families Policy Requirements
If one of the target audiences for your app is children, you must comply with the Families Policy Requirements.
Battery Overlay Percent is an old (end of life) app. I’ve ended it after Android 8 if I remember correctly as “overlay” drawing on UI elements was disallowed by any way. (Imagine someone “faking” a system dialog to steal your data…). I’ve made a “reduced” redesigned app just for the audible notifications.
With Battery Overlay Percent, I used the simplest (back then, think Android 2.3) approach of having a “key” app. It was dead simple, you pay in the store, the key app is downloaded, the main app detects it and unlock things.
Not sure when, Google introduced family policies, It was an opt in thing. I thought, why not? If someone wants to use a key for his entire household that’s fine by me. My app has no in-appropriate content, it’s merely showing you battery percentage on pre-Android 8 devices!
So I’ve appealed, the installed app isn’t even showing up on the Home Screen (aka Launcher). It’s just a key. I’ve appealed to Google Play Store and got their in-the-lines rejection:
We’ve reviewed your appeal request and found that your app, Battery Overlay Percent Key (com.talaviram.overlaypercent.key) is currently in violation of Google Play policy. Please resolve this issue by March 18, 2024 or your app will be removed from Google Play.
Now, even if I want to opt-out of the family policy (even though I don’t think my app violates it) – I can’t!
Battery Overlay Percent has more than 500k downloads over the years, the “key” app had 1k+ downloads and has decent reviews.
AppStores original idea was to simplify the flow for both users and developers.
Users:
- Easy management of apps (install, uninstall, updates, download, purchase)
Developers:
- Deployment (publish, update, versioning, promoting)
- Payment (not need for per-country tax and rules handling)
As of now, my latest app is only for iOS.
At the early days, when Eclipse was the main Android IDE, the “Market” was so much better than the walled garden. But over the years, I find myself spending much more time with Play Store, “fixing” or being targeted by redundant bureaucracy that isn’t benefiting users nor me.
So… bye bye Battery Overlay Percent key.