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

From this post:

I finally got this to work. I created a new release but didnt upload a new APK, in this release I deactivated all the previous APKs except the current one. In this release form you are presented with a sensitive permissions declaration form on which i declared that the release did not comply with the new regulations. (This prompts a warning that you must comply before march 19). After rolling out this release, which basically changed nothing because no new APK was made available, I created a new release with the new APK that I wanted to publish, this went on normally and is currently in rollout.

Please also try other solutions from this link.

Answer 2

Just had the same exact issue.
It seems there's no way to workaround it without accepting the inline Permission Declaration Form.

The way I fixed the issue is by:

1. Click the Create Release in a target channel.
2. Upload new APK having higher version with the SMS permissions removed.
3. [IMPORTANT] Click on RETAIN on previous (the one that contains the SMS permissions) version - which will present the inline Permission Declaration Form.
4. In Permission Declaration Form, under Compliance status (Does this release meet the SMS and Call Log permissions policy? If you choose no, you can submit the form without selecting any core functionalities.), select No, this release does not meet the SMS and Call Log permissions policy.
5. Check all check-boxes under Declarations (By submitting this Permissions Declaration Form, I confirm that).
6. Click the Save and then Review buttons.
7. You will be navigated to Review and rollout screen, and Rollout button will be finally enabled.

In order to remove the retained version (from step 3 - the one that contains the SMS permissions), you can create another release (with an APK having higher version) - in which you'll be able to deactivate any previous versions.

Answer 3

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.