Google Play Console preventing uploading or promoting new app versions compliant with sensitive permissions policy

Question

I have an existing app published to production and beta tracks that require SMS permissions. In order to comply with Google\'s recent policy changes on these permissions I

Answer 1

I just realized my process was a bit different:

1. Ensure Alpha or Beta track does not have OLD APK with permissions violations.
2. If it does, Delete/Deactive the Beta and Alpha ones before uploading a new one to Production.
3. If you can't simply delete or deactivate an Alpha or Beta release, which some are finding to the be the problem (as was my problem), then you must overwrite the existing Alpha/Beta versions with a new version...that forces the Alpha/Beta to auto-deactivate.
4. Alpha/Beta Manage -> Create Release -> upload a new APK (even if its to be your next Production version)
5. Ensure the previous one is showing Deactivated, then Save, Review and Release. I got all kinds of warnings/severe warnings about not having Alpha user lists and not being deployed to thousands of devices. I ignore those and released anyway.
6. I never got a Restricted Permissions Form on my newly uploaded APK because I had already removed the need for them in my app.
7. After the old one is gone, then go back into that Alpha/Beta release you just created and Promote to Production - SAVE, REVIEW, RELEASE again.

Hope this helps someone out there. Took me 2 hours of frustration to finally get around this mess.

Google should just allow you to delete Alpha/Beta versions - or more specifically, not even consider them valid Production....or even more so, LABEL which versions are not passing the requirements. It took me a good hour just to figure out it was a 1.5 year old Alpha version that was hosing me.