Permissions

Permission requests should make sense to users. You may only request permissions that are necessary to implement current features or services in your app that are promoted in your Play Store listing. You may not use permissions that give access to user or device data for undisclosed, unimplemented, or disallowed features or purposes. Personal or sensitive data accessed through permissions may never be sold.

Request permissions to access data in context (via incremental auth), so that users understand why your app is requesting the permission. Use the data only for purposes that the user has consented to. If you later wish to use the data for other purposes, you must ask users and make sure they affirmatively agree to the additional uses.

Restricted Permissions

In addition to the above, restricted permissions are permissions that are designated as Dangerous, Special, or Signature, and are subject to the following additional requirements and restrictions:

• Sensitive user or device data accessed through Restricted Permissions may only be transferred to third parties if necessary to provide or improve current features or services in the app from which the data was collected. You may also transfer data as necessary to comply with applicable law or as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets with legally adequate notice to users. All other transfers or sales of the user data are prohibited.
• Respect users’ decisions if they decline a request for a Restricted Permission, and users may not be manipulated or forced into consenting to any non-critical permission. You must make a reasonable effort to accommodate users who do not grant access to sensitive permissions (e.g., allowing a user to manually enter a phone number if they’ve restricted access to Call Logs).

Certain Restricted Permissions may be subject to additional requirements as detailed below. The objective of these restrictions is to safeguard user privacy. We may make limited exceptions to the requirements below in very rare cases where apps provide a highly compelling or critical feature and where there is no alternative method available to provide the feature. We evaluate proposed exceptions against the potential privacy or security impacts on users.

 

SMS and Call Log Permissions SMS and Call Log Permissions are regarded as personal and sensitive user data subject to the Personal and Sensitive Information policy, and the following restrictions: Restricted Permission Requirement Call Log permission group (e.g. READ_CALL_LOG, WRITE_CALL_LOG, PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS) It must be actively registered as the default Phone or Assistant handler on the device. SMS permission group (e.g. READ_SMS, SEND_SMS, WRITE_SMS, RECEIVE_SMS, RECEIVE_WAP_PUSH, RECEIVE_MMS) It must be actively registered as the default SMS or Assistant handler on the device.   Apps lacking default SMS, Phone, or Assistant handler capability may not declare use of the above permissions in the manifest. This includes placeholder text in the manifest. Additionally, apps must be actively registered as the default SMS, Phone, or Assistant handler before prompting users to accept any of the above permissions and must immediately stop using the permission when they’re no longer the default handler. The permitted uses and exceptions are available on this Help Center page. Apps may only use the permission (and any data derived from the permission) to provide approved core app functionality Core functionality is defined as the main purpose of the app. This may include a set of core features, which must all be prominently documented and promoted in the app’s description. Without the core feature(s), the app is “broken” or rendered unusable. The transfer, sharing, or licensed use of this data must only be for providing core features or services within the app, and its use may not be extended for any other purpose (e.g., improving other apps or services, advertising, or marketing purposes). You may not use alternative methods (including other permissions, APIs, or third-party sources) to derive data attributed to Call Log or SMS related permissions.

 

Location Permissions April 16, 2020 update: We realize that compliance with the Location policy may require substantial work for some developers, so we are offering an extended timeline to make any necessary changes. To view timelines and other updates, please visit our Help Center. Device location is regarded as personal and sensitive user data subject to the Personal and Sensitive Information policy and the following requirements: Apps may not access data protected by location permissions (e.g., ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION) after it is no longer necessary to deliver current features or services in your app. You should never request location permissions from users for the sole purpose of advertising or analytics. Apps that extend permitted usage of this data for serving advertising must be in compliance with our Ads Policy. Apps should request the minimum scope necessary (i.e., coarse instead of fine, and foreground instead of background) to provide the current feature or service requiring location and users should reasonably expect that the feature or service needs the level of location requested. For example, we may reject apps that request or access background location without compelling justification. Background location may only be used to provide features beneficial to the user and relevant to the core functionality of the app. Apps are allowed to access location using foreground service (when the app only has foreground access e.g.: "while in use") permission if the use: has been initiated as a continuation of an in-app user-initiated action, and is terminated immediately after the intended use case of the user-initiated action is completed by the application. Apps designed specifically for children must comply with the Designed for Families policy.

 

All Files Access Permission Files and directory attributes on a user’s device are regarded as personal and sensitive user data subject to the Personal and Sensitive Information policy and the following requirements: Apps should only request access to device storage which is critical for the app to function, and may not request access to device storage on behalf of any third-party for any purpose that is unrelated to critical user-facing app functionality. Android devices running R or later, will require the MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission in order to manage access in shared storage. All apps that target R and request broad access to shared storage (“All files access”) must successfully pass an appropriate access review prior to publishing. Apps allowed to use this permission must clearly prompt users to enable “All files access” for their app under “Special app access” settings. For more information on the R requirements, please see this help article.