[android] Warnings Your Apk Is Using Permissions That Require A Privacy Policy: (android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE)

In manifest not added android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE. permission.

Why error comes when I upload a new apk version error comes below.

Your app has an apk with version code 1 that requests the following permission(s): android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE. Apps using these permissions in an APK are required to have a privacy policy set.

I have attached a screenshot of my google play store account.

my manifest file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.my.package.name">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

    <application
        android:name=".utils.PreferenceManager"
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:largeHeap="true"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity
            android:name=".SplashScreen"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" />

        <activity
            android:name=".CategoryListActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" />
        <activity
            android:name=".ImagesActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" />

    </application>

</manifest>

Currently some people are facing the same issue because of using 12.0.0 version of AdMob lib.

Update it to 12.0.1. This should fix it. You can read more here

I found this free website that will make for you the policy AND host it:

https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/

Then add it to the play store under Store Listing - at the bottom add the public link for the policy that you got from https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/

If you read the message carefully you will see that you are using the permissions like camera, Microphone, Contacts, Storage and Phone, etc. and you don't supply a privacy policy. you need to supply a privacy policy if you do that. you can find more information about the android privacy policy on google

To Add Privacy Policy In-Play Console,

1. Find and select All Apps.

2. Select the application you need to add your Privacy Policy to.

3. Find the Policy at the end of the page.

4. Click App content to edit the listing for your app.

5. Find the field labeled Privacy Policy and place the URL of the page of your Privacy Policy

6. Click Save and you are good to go.

Note: You need to have a public web page to host your Privacy Policy. Google Play Store won't host the policy for you.

I was facing same issue and got the error while uploading apk to Google play. I used ads in my app, and I was not even mentioned READ_PHONE_STATE permission in my manifest file. but yet I got this error. Then I change dependencies for ads in build.gradle file. and then it solved my issue. They solved this issue in 12.0.1.

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:12.0.1'

It may be because of any third party lib which may include that permission so from my experience in this field You have to add the privacy policy regarding to that particular information it means if you ask get accounts permission in your app than you have to declare that with your privacy policy file we use that data i.e. email address or whatever with reasons like to login in google play game.

Also can do this

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove" />

Hope This Will Guide you What You can do for this warning create privacy policy for your app and attach that with store listing.

See steb by step and you will understood

public static String getVideoTitle(String youtubeVideoUrl) {
        Log.e(youtubeVideoUrl.toString() + " In GetVideoTitle Menu".toString() ,"hiii" );
        try {

            if (youtubeVideoUrl != null) {
                URL embededURL = new URL("https://www.youtube.com/oembed?url=" +
                        youtubeVideoUrl + "&format=json"
                );
                Log.e(youtubeVideoUrl.toString() + " In EmbedJson Try Function ".toString() ,"hiii" );
                Log.e(embededURL.toString() + " In EmbedJson Retrn value ".toString() ,"hiii" );
                Log.e(new JSONObject(IOUtils.toString(embededURL)).getString("provider_name").toString() + " In EmbedJson Retrn value ".toString() ,"hiii" );

                return new JSONObject(IOUtils.toString(embededURL)).getString("provider_name").toString();
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(" In catch Function ".toString() ,"hiii" );

            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return null;
    }

If you're testing your app on a device > android 6.0 you have also to explicitely ask the user to grant the permission.

As you can see here READ_PHONE_STATE have a dangerous level.

If a permission have a dangerous level then the user have to accept or not this permission manually. You don't have the choice, you MUST do this

To do this from your activity execute the following code :

if the user use Android M and didn't grant the permission yet it will ask for it.

public static final int READ_PHONE_STATE_PERMISSION = 100;

  if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > Build.VERSION_CODES.M && checkSelfPermission(Manifest.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE)
                != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            requestPermissions(new String[]{Manifest.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE}, READ_PHONE_STATE_PERMISSION);
        }

then override onRequestPermissionsResult in your activity

@Override
    public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
        switch (requestCode){
            case READ_PHONE_STATE_PERMISSION: {
                if (grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED){
                    //Permission granted do what you want from this point
                }else {
                    //Permission denied, manage this usecase
                }
            }
        }
    }

You should read this article to know more about it

2018 update:

For AdMob users, this causes AdMob version 12.0.0 (currently last version). It wrongly requests READ_PHONE_STATE permission, so even if your app doesn't require READ_PHONE_STATE permission in manifest, you won't be able to update your app in the Google Play Console (it will tell you to create a privacy policy page for your app, because your app requires this permission).

See this: https://developers.google.com/android/guides/releases#march_20_2018_-_version_1200

Also, they wrote they will publish an update to 12.0.1 fixing this soon.

Are you using AdSense or other ads in your app, or maybe Google Analytics ? I think if you do so, even if you don't have the android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE in your manifest this is added by the ads library.

There are free templates that might help you create a privacy policy.

This is the email i received from Google about it :

Hello Google Play Developer, Our records show that your app, xxx, with package name xxx, currently violates our User Data policy regarding Personal and Sensitive Information. Policy issue: Google Play requires developers to provide a valid privacy policy when the app requests or handles sensitive user or device information. Your app requests sensitive permissions (e.g. camera, microphone, accounts, contacts, or phone) or user data, but does not include a valid privacy policy. Action required: Include a link to a valid privacy policy on your app's Store Listing page and within your app. You can find more information in our help center. Alternatively, you may opt-out of this requirement by removing any requests for sensitive permissions or user data. If you have additional apps in your catalog, please make sure they are compliant with our Prominent Disclosure requirements. Please resolve this issue by March 15, 2017, or administrative action will be taken to limit the visibility of your app, up to and including removal from the Play Store. Thanks for helping us provide a clear and transparent experience for Google Play users. Regards, The Google Play Team

The dependencies you have in your project, will add their own permissions. Please do the below to find from where "READ_PHONE_STATE" is coming.

1. Rebuild your android application
2. Press "Ctrl+Shift+F" in android studio (basically do a search all in the editor of your preference).
3. Search for "READ_PHONE_STATE", you would find the entry in a regenerated manifest file (not the one you originally created). By the path of it you can know, from which dependency the permission is getting added.

It can be that you need to add or update your privacy policy. You can easily create a privacy policy using this template

https://app-privacy-policy-generator.firebaseapp.com/

You should drop android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE permission. Add this to your manifest file:

<uses-permission
    android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE"
    tools:node="remove" />

It's third party library. You can find the culprit in build/outputs/logs/manifest-merger-release-report.txt

If you use React Native

This problem has been completely solved here

https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/removing-default-permissions

you need to specify the min and target sdk version in the manifest file.
If not the android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE will be added automaticly while exporting your apk file.

<uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="9"
        android:targetSdkVersion="19" />

1.You need to create privacy policy page on your website and update your privacy policy for the permissions you are asking.

2.Update new SDK remove unwanted permissions and resubmit the app.

If you are using the package device_id to get the unique device id then that will add an android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE without your knowledge which eventually will lead to the Play Store warning.

Instead you can use the device_info package for the same purpose without the need of the extra permission. Check this SO thread

1. Probably you're using PlayServices of version 9.6.0. Then you should update it, it's library's bug. More info here.

OR

2. Add

   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove" />

to your manifest file.

Just try to add this line to your manifest file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove" />

and add attribute xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" to your <manifest> tag to define namespace tools

From the documentation for tools:node="remove":

Remove this element from the merged manifest. Although it seems like you should instead just delete this element, using this is necessary when you discover an element in your merged manifest that you don't need, and it was provided by a lower-priority manifest file that's out of your control (such as an imported library).