Google nuts
In recent years, Google in relation to its Android operating system - more and more “tightens the screws”: prohibits previously working functions, restricts changing system settings from applications. And old applications stop working on new versions of Android.
In addition, their Google Play Store (“Market”, in short) is already oversaturated with applications, both old and new on any topic. Finding something you need is getting harder and harder; if you just publish it there and not engage in advertising and promotion, you will hardly find your users.
And Google is also increasingly “cleaning” its Market.
Developers are coming up with new requirements regarding the design of applications, their descriptions, content that may not be acceptable to children, etc. And this is correct, from the point of view of a simple user of applications. But account owners (independent developers or companies) - now more and more time and effort is required to follow the new rules. Because for violations, especially serious ones, Google not only removes applications from the store, or prohibits the publication of new versions (until the violations are eliminated) - but it can also delete the account completely, and this developer will not be able to register the account again.
The problem of icons and other images that are used in applications is especially acute now - Google algorithms continuously scan applications downloaded to the store and their screenshots, and if they find logos of well-known companies in pictures, they simply prohibit the application. Those. you must either provide written permission to use the logo from the company that owns the logo, or change the schedule.
Because Since all stages of publishing an application are interconnected, it now becomes impossible for some application topics to fulfill all the requirements and successfully publish application updates.
Previously, when I was fulfilling third-party orders for the development of Android applications, I easily offered the service of publishing the application I developed, which is completely free for the end user, in my account, if the customer didn’t care if the application was available in the Market. But in the last months of this 2019, I suddenly got two applications statuses:
In these cases, after reflection, it was decided not to do anything with them, customers agreed to leave the situation as is.
But the other day, I suddenly found my own application (which was published about 5 years ago) in the 3rd version of the status:
The application has been refined for all these years to comply with the rules and requirements of Google, and most of the positive reviews confirmed that the application is useful, users were satisfied, w3bsit3-dns.com also has a program branch, and people used and use it.
Now, no information about the application is no longer available, and the Google Live Robot replies that:
And here we come to the main idea for which the article was written: custom-made applications (free for users) are now unwise for the developer (owner of the Play Store account) to publish in their account, providing the service (for free, or for extra money), etc. to. meeting Google’s requirements now increasingly depends on the application’s customer, on the application’s content, and not on the developer. And in advance there is no 100% guarantee that the ordered application will go through all stages of verification, and will not violate them in the future.
And it turns out that now any customer of the application, if you think ahead of time, must create an account for yourself, support it, update application descriptions, screenshots ... Of course, first Google paid “for membership” $ 25.
Of course, in any account, a third-party developer can be connected by the owner as the “publisher” of applications, but the responsibility for publishing applications, the risk of banning the publication, or even the risk of losing an account with all applications - now the development customer must bear it .
It’s just that very often customers are not interested in this problem at all - but they are interested in “turnkey” order execution, when a completely finished result is paid. And who will immediately rake the consequences of Google, to monitor the account - is unclear.
In addition, their Google Play Store (“Market”, in short) is already oversaturated with applications, both old and new on any topic. Finding something you need is getting harder and harder; if you just publish it there and not engage in advertising and promotion, you will hardly find your users.
And Google is also increasingly “cleaning” its Market.
Developers are coming up with new requirements regarding the design of applications, their descriptions, content that may not be acceptable to children, etc. And this is correct, from the point of view of a simple user of applications. But account owners (independent developers or companies) - now more and more time and effort is required to follow the new rules. Because for violations, especially serious ones, Google not only removes applications from the store, or prohibits the publication of new versions (until the violations are eliminated) - but it can also delete the account completely, and this developer will not be able to register the account again.
The problem of icons and other images that are used in applications is especially acute now - Google algorithms continuously scan applications downloaded to the store and their screenshots, and if they find logos of well-known companies in pictures, they simply prohibit the application. Those. you must either provide written permission to use the logo from the company that owns the logo, or change the schedule.
Because Since all stages of publishing an application are interconnected, it now becomes impossible for some application topics to fulfill all the requirements and successfully publish application updates.
Previously, when I was fulfilling third-party orders for the development of Android applications, I easily offered the service of publishing the application I developed, which is completely free for the end user, in my account, if the customer didn’t care if the application was available in the Market. But in the last months of this 2019, I suddenly got two applications statuses:
- “Deleted” - The application has been removed from Google Play because it violates the Google Play Application Developer Program Policies.
- “Application update rejected” - The application or update has not been published because it violates the Google Play Application Developer Program Policies. If you tried to publish the update, then the previous version of the application is still available on Google Play.
In these cases, after reflection, it was decided not to do anything with them, customers agreed to leave the situation as is.
But the other day, I suddenly found my own application (which was published about 5 years ago) in the 3rd version of the status:
- “Application is blocked.” - The application has been removed from the Google Play Store.
The application has been refined for all these years to comply with the rules and requirements of Google, and most of the positive reviews confirmed that the application is useful, users were satisfied, w3bsit3-dns.com also has a program branch, and people used and use it.
Now, no information about the application is no longer available, and the Google Live Robot replies that:
As mentioned in the previous email, we found that your app violates Deceptive Behavior Policy. Apps must provide accurate disclosure of their functionality and should perform as reasonably expected by the user.Those. what exactly was violated - it is unknown, it is no longer possible to re-read the application description texts, and the "people" in Google support are also not in power in this situation.
For auditing purposes, we won't be able to reinstate or remove apps that have been removed or rejected due to policy violations. You'll need to upload the policy compliant app with a new package name and a new app name.
And here we come to the main idea for which the article was written: custom-made applications (free for users) are now unwise for the developer (owner of the Play Store account) to publish in their account, providing the service (for free, or for extra money), etc. to. meeting Google’s requirements now increasingly depends on the application’s customer, on the application’s content, and not on the developer. And in advance there is no 100% guarantee that the ordered application will go through all stages of verification, and will not violate them in the future.
And it turns out that now any customer of the application, if you think ahead of time, must create an account for yourself, support it, update application descriptions, screenshots ... Of course, first Google paid “for membership” $ 25.
Of course, in any account, a third-party developer can be connected by the owner as the “publisher” of applications, but the responsibility for publishing applications, the risk of banning the publication, or even the risk of losing an account with all applications - now the development customer must bear it .
It’s just that very often customers are not interested in this problem at all - but they are interested in “turnkey” order execution, when a completely finished result is paid. And who will immediately rake the consequences of Google, to monitor the account - is unclear.
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