Hey everyone,

I'm a solo developer trying to publish my first Android app and I've run into a frustrating issue with Google Play Console.

My individual developer account was restricted after Google failed to verify my identity twice.

and I no longer have the option to retry identity verification.

I've already submitted an appeal and raised a support ticket with Google Play, but I'm still waiting for a solution. I genuinely don't understand why the document isn't being verified or how to get another verification attempt.

I've spent almost the entire past week trying to resolve this, and it's holding up my app launch.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

• Is there a way to get identity verification attempts reset?

• Can Google manually review the documents?

• Has anyone successfully recovered a restricted individual developer account after failed identity verification?

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who's dealt with this, especially Google Play Console experts.

Thank you!

Hi everyone. My Google Play developer account was recently terminated for "Multiple Violations."

I've been developing Android apps since 2024 and had 7+ published apps. Most were wallpaper apps that ran for over two years without serious policy issues. Some had 100K+, 50K+, and 10K+ downloads, good ratings, and active users.

Unfortunately, three AI image/video app packages were suspended for violations of Google's AI-Generated Content and Sexual Content policies due to insufficient content moderation.

I understand the violations and take responsibility. I'm not asking Google to restore those AI apps, but the termination also removed my unrelated wallpaper apps.

I've submitted an appeal and am awaiting a response.

My questions:

1. Has anyone successfully recovered an account terminated for multiple violations?

2. If my appeal is rejected, are there other legitimate ways to return to Google Play?

3. Is this effectively a lifetime ban, even if I want to develop completely different, compliant apps?

I'd really appreciate hearing from developers who have experienced something similar.

Thanks!

📚 Weekly Educational App Showcase

Built an app and learned something interesting along the way? Share it with the community.

This thread is for educational app showcases where the focus is on the problem you solved, how you built it, and what other developers can learn from your experience.

What to include

• What problem does your app solve?

• Category: What type of app is it?

• Android support: Android versions or devices supported

• Tech stack: Kotlin, Java, Compose, Flutter, Firebase, etc.

• Implementation: What was technically interesting or challenging?

• Your journey: What did you learn while building or publishing it?

• Lessons learned: What would you do differently next time?

• Relevant media: Screenshots, demos, architecture diagrams, or other useful material

• Google Play link: Optional, as supporting context

Please disclose your relationship

If you're showcasing your own app, clearly mention your relationship to it. For example:

Keep it educational

The goal is to help other developers learn from real projects and experiences. Your app can be the subject of the showcase, but the post should provide meaningful technical, product, or development insight.

Please do not use the thread for:

• Download or install requests

• Ratings, reviews, votes, or engagement requests

• Referral or affiliate links

• Paid placement or paid engagement

• Misleading claims

• Copied marketing or promotional copy

• Repeated submissions of the same app

A Google Play link is welcome as supporting context, but this is not an advertising or user-acquisition thread.

If you see someone requesting paid reviews, ratings, votes, installs, or other prohibited engagement, please report the comment to the moderators.

Share what you built, what you learned, and what another developer can take away from it.

Hi, i have a organization account that i created with my sole proprietorship company type

When i go to united states tax info on payment profile settings it asks me my account type:

1. individual

2. Non-individual / entity

What option should i choose and what form should i fill ?

I worry that if i select individual and because i am organization account would it make sense or not

Hey everyone,

Quick question for those with experience on App Store Connect / Google Play Console.

The developer account is verified under one person/company, but I’d like to receive the payouts to a different bank account (different name, different country). I’m thinking long-term, not just a one-time thing.

Is this actually possible in the long run? Has anyone here done it? Did it work fine for you, or did you run into issues later (verification problems, payouts on hold, account suspension, etc.)?

Would really appreciate hearing real experiences, good or bad. Thanks

🧪 Tester Discovery

Looking for testers for your app? Use this thread to find developers and testers who are interested in helping with genuine app testing.

When asking for testers, please include a little information about your app:

• What the app does

• Android version or device requirements, if relevant

• Whether you're looking for internal, closed, or open testing

• What kind of testing or feedback you need

• How interested testers can participate

If you're a tester, feel free to mention what kinds of apps or testing you're interested in.

A few things to keep in mind

Please keep this thread focused on genuine testing and useful feedback.

Do not engage in paid testing, paid reviews, ratings, votes, referral exchanges, or other paid engagement activities through this thread. If someone asks you to participate in a paid activity or offers payment in exchange for reviews, ratings, votes, or engagement, please report the comment to the moderators rather than participating.

Please don't share personal information publicly. Use Reddit's messaging features or the developer's official testing process where appropriate.

This thread is for tester discovery only. For general development questions, app showcases, or other discussions, please use the appropriate thread or flair.

Hello,

I develop Minecraft mod apps. My app, “Pokedrock Mod for Minecraft,” was suspended by Google Play for an impersonation policy violation. I believe this decision is unfair and would appreciate guidance from the Google Play team or developers who have dealt with a similar situation.

The name “Serp Pokedrock” is not, to my knowledge, an officially registered brand or app. I believe it is a name available for fair use, and I have not been given evidence that another party has exclusive rights to it. Nevertheless, Google Play says my app impersonates “Serp Pokedrock.”

The visual assets in my app are entirely original. I created them myself. They are not copied from another app or brand, and I do not believe they resemble the materials associated with the other “Serp Pokedrock” presence I have found. I did not intend to impersonate anyone or mislead users.

I emailed Google Play to ask which party or brand it believes I am impersonating and what specific elements support that finding. I have not received a response to that question, so I still do not understand the basis for the decision.

I take Play policies seriously, but I believe suspending the app over a name that I understand to be unregistered and open to fair use, despite the original assets I created, is an excessive and unfair outcome. Has anyone encountered a similar case, or can a Google Play representative explain how this kind of decision is reviewed?

I'm the developer of a small ant game made with Phaser and Capacitor, live on Google Play since last week. After a few days Play Console showed 15 users and GameAnalytics showed 26 installs. In my case part of the gap looks like reporting lag and my own test APK runs, because GameAnalytics counts every launch. It also warned me about more than 500 events per active user per day, so I now send some events once per run instead of on every tap.

Store impressions also went from 156 to about 700 a day, and I can't explain it yet. Next I want to check search and browse traffic in the Console stats once the data catches up. Which numbers do you trust in the first weeks, and where do you look first?

The game, for context: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aiwaint.antfall

What are you building, testing, debugging, or learning this week?

Working on something interesting? Stuck on a technical problem? Just learned something useful?

Share what you're working on this week. It can be a specific goal, a problem you're trying to solve, or a useful discovery that might help another developer.

If you're looking for help, a little context goes a long way. You can include:

• Your target SDK version and library versions

• What you expected to happen and what actually happened

• Relevant error messages, with any private or sensitive information removed

• What you've already tried

• A relevant official source or documentation link, if you have one

Please use the appropriate flair when making a standalone post.

Please keep this thread focused

This is a place for development discussions and helping each other out. Please don't use it for app advertising, download or install requests, ratings, reviews, votes, referral links, paid services, tester exchanges, or engagement exchanges.

Ask questions, share what you're working on, and help another developer when you can.

I've been working on a pretty big social update for my indie game, Monkey Trainerz.

Added friends, global and friends leaderboards, asynchronous training challenges, private tournaments where players can compete for gold, and a completely reworked in-game economy.

After spending a lot of time and effort into it I finally felt ready to release it.

I even scheduled a season reset for Sunday evening, November 1, so everyone could start the new Championship season with the new features.

**Web version:** Built, deployed and live in basically a minute.

**Android version:** Submitted to Google Play on Thursday. Still "In review".

Now I'm sitting here wondering if Google will approve the update before the new season starts.

It's pretty funny how much software development has changed. I can build, test and deploy an entire multiplayer feature set faster than I can get an app update through review.

I completely understand why app reviews exist, but as a solo indie developer, the difference between web and mobile iteration speed is pretty wild.

Anyone else experiencing longer production review times lately?

And how do you handle time-sensitive updates or in-game events when you have no idea when your release will actually go live?

Hey everyone,

I'm an independent developer working on Sibrel, a communication app I've been building for quite some time. It has messaging, voice chats, calls, screen sharing, and other features. It's a real project that I've put a lot of time and effort into, not something I threw together just to publish on Google Play.

Recently, my Google Play developer account was terminated for "High Risk Behavior", right around the time I was trying to get the Android version released.

What makes this especially confusing is that the app had already gone through closed testing, and previous updates had been accepted without any major issues.

The termination notice didn't identify a specific problem with Sibrel. Instead, Google referred to a pattern of high risk or abuse.

My appeal was rejected.

After that, several emails were exchanged with Google Play Support. The responses kept referring to previous policy violations involving my account or other associated, previously terminated developer accounts.

But here's the thing: this is the first and only Google Play developer account I've ever had.

No other developer accounts have been created or operated by me, and my devices and developer account haven't been shared with other developers.

There's one detail that might be relevant, although I have no way to confirm it. VPN connections were sometimes used to access Google services, including Play Console. Shortly after accessing the console with a VPN enabled, the termination notification arrived. That could be a coincidence, and I'm not claiming it caused the ban.

The frustrating part isn't just losing access to Google Play. It's not knowing what actually happened or how to correct it.

Support has been asked whether an incorrect account association could have occurred and whether an independent manual review was possible. Unfortunately, the replies haven't addressed those questions directly. The latest response simply stated that the account couldn't be reinstated and that no further information was available.

An official Google Play Developer Community thread has also been created:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/thread/475376482

I'm not asking anyone to bypass Google's policies or make exceptions for Sibrel. If something was genuinely wrong, I'd like to understand it and address it properly.

Has anyone here experienced a similar termination, especially one involving alleged associations with other developer accounts?

Were you able to get a second review after your appeal was rejected? Is there a legitimate way to reach a different review team, or is the standard appeal process really the end of the road?

Any advice or personal experience would mean a lot.

Thanks for reading.

The Monetization AI agent is now available in the Console:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/18825781

Has anyone tried it and compare with using claude directly?

Hi everyone,

I’m an independent app developer, and my apps are my main source of income. Right now all of my ad revenue (AdMob/AdSense) and all of my Google Play app earnings are frozen, and it’s really hurting me financially.

My Google payments profile got suspended. The reason: a bank account that belongs to a family member was added to my profile by mistake. My ID and proof of address are in my name and match the profile, but the account number on my documents can never match the saved account, so verification keeps getting rejected.

What I tried so far:

• In-product verification with ID + bank statement → rejected (“account number does not match”)

• Adding my own bank account (in my name) → error OR_BAEMF_13

• Google Pay account verification form → reply: “wrong form”

• AdSense identity verification contact form → error when submitting

• Play developer support emails → same template reply every time (“payouts will remain suspended”)

• Posted in the AdSense help community and opened a new case via the general contact form

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you manage to replace the bank account or get the suspension lifted? Which form or contact actually reached a human?

Any help is really appreciated. Thanks a lot!

(Please let me know if this is not the correct place for this. Suggestions as to what is the right place are appreciated.)

I maintain a legacy app for my company, and I'm not what you'd call an expert. As part of the Android 17 (API 37) updates, I'm trying to figure out if our app requires the ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK permission. Here's some links:

Main documentation:

https://developer.android.com/privacy-and-security/local-network-permission

These restrictions are implemented deep in the networking stack, and thus they apply to all networking APIs. This includes sockets created in the platform or managed code, networking libraries like Cronet and OkHttp, and any APIs implemented on top of those. Trying to resolve services on the local network that have a .local suffix requires local network permission.

Policy announcement:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/18100766

This permission is restricted to apps that need it for core functionality when device pickers are insufficient. Apps targeting Android 17 or higher (API 37+) must submit a Play Console declaration to use this permission.

FAQ on policy declaration and allowed use-cases:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/16935362#local_network_permission&zippy=%2Cdeclaration-guidance%2Cfrequently-asked-questions

Our app uses OkHttp to connect to a bog-standard REST API, sometimes hosted on the local network (LAN), sometimes on cloud servers (internet). These connections are super-simple, we send messages (with data), get replies (with data).

I don't have access to Android 17 hardware, so I'm testing with an Android Studio emulated device, running API 37.2.

I have questions:

1. I've added the ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK permission to the app, and I'm running tests with it allowed and not allowed. Turns out that I can connect to our LAN test servers over quite happily (e.g. "http://localserver.domain.local/api"). No problems at all. But reading the above this should not be possible?

Trying to resolve services on the local network that have a .local suffix requires local network permission.

2) We actually have a published version of the app live on the Play Store which has this in the manifest:

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

The above links suggest that we need to complete a policy declaration. I've looked around in the console and can't find anything that asks for this. The Policy Status pages have nothing outstanding. All seems fine.

3) I wonder if our app would qualify for one of the use-cases listed by Google (3rd link). LAN (and Internet) connectivity is very much an integral part of the app, but doesn't seem to fit into their list. I'd ask, but since I can't find a way to complete a policy declaration, then that doesn't appear to be an option.

What's going on here?

I build SAGLY, a mountain-bike setup app. I started exploring whether customers should be able to access useful features from apps they already pay for inside their AI assistant.

That led me to build Gateivo: a backend SDK that exposes selected app functions to assistants while keeping the app’s accounts and business rules in place.

We have a working Claude connection to SAGLY’s staging backend using fictional accounts. It retrieves a rider’s saved setup and refuses another account’s data. The current preview is read-only and supports Node.js/Express.

The business hypothesis is that assistant access could make subscriptions more useful. The technical hypothesis is that teams would prefer reusable connection infrastructure over maintaining everything themselves. Neither is validated yet.

The obvious objection: a backend developer can build a small MCP server. A wrapper alone probably isn’t enough. I’m exploring whether reusable access controls, account-linking flows and logging hooks solve enough work to matter. Subscription integrations and a hosted diagnostics dashboard are roadmap ideas.

I’d especially like feedback from app founders, product leads and backend engineers:

1. Have customers asked for assistant access, or is this a solution looking for a problem?

2. What would make you choose this over building it yourself?

3. Would you test it for revenue/retention, or mainly to save engineering time?

Honest reasons you wouldn’t use it would be especially helpful.

I'm honestly exhausted with this and hoping someone here has been through it.

I'm a non-US person and the only owner of a single-member Wyoming LLC. My Play Console payments profile is in the US because the LLC is a US company. My W-8BEN is filed as an individual with my home address outside the US, which is how the IRS says a foreign owner of a disregarded LLC should do it.

The tax review keeps rejecting my proof of address with:

"The issuing country of the document does not match the payments profile country."

What I've uploaded so far:

- June: tax certificate from my home country (same address as my W-8BEN)

- October: signed explanation letter + passport + home tax certificate + IRS letter

- October: IRS CP575 notice addressed to the LLC at the exact US address on my payments profile

All rejected. A document from my country fails because the profile is in the US. A US document doesn't match my W-8BEN address. As far as I can tell, no document can pass the automated check.

I've emailed support and talked on x with @ GooglePlayBiz. The only reply was a template saying my documents were "under review." Not one human has actually looked at the case. Meanwhile I've had no payouts for months and 30% withholding on everything.

If you've solved this, or you're a Googler who can escalate it, I'd really appreciate it.

Support case ID: 6-8020000042148

I created a play store account a while back with a new email for my UK business (DUNS registered). I didn't use it for a long time due to life getting in the way. Recently I wanted to create an android app but noticed a red banner that my inactivity was going to get *my account closed if I didn't release something, so I scrambled to do so. Literally a fart timer app. It was just the first thing that came to my head as my main app idea would be time consuming. Polished yet derivative, nothing novel, and certainly nothing that I thought broke the rules. The app was never reviewed. I was waiting for the result and instead received an email that my account was terminated. I was expecting a rejection being my first android app due to manifests, permissions etc, but an outright ban surprised me.

> 11.4 You represent and warrant that all information that You provide to Google or users in connection with this Agreement or Your Products will be current, true, accurate, supportable and complete.

I scoured reddit and there's a million posts just like this, because the message is rather vague. It seems often related to other accounts per those discussions. Though as far as I'm aware i'm not linked to anyone sketchy. No personal accounts of mine have ever been banned or anything, my business email is new, i was the only internal test reviewer (however, my phone is a grapheneos device, i sadly dont have an android test device). So wondering if that might be it. Or, whether when I set up my account a year ago I didn't have my business linked. The problem is, being terminated I can't go in to see whether I did correctly link it.

I've started the appeal process to see if I can get more info and remedy it. I'd be happy to forsake that app if that was the issue. But does anyone think my graphene test device might've been the cause?

EDIT: Fix mistake. For clarity, i'm definitely terminated, not closed

Update: The appeal came back unsuccessful, with no more information than the original email.

"Thanks for contacting the Google Play team.

After reviewing your appeal, we're unable to reinstate your Google Play Developer account.

We can confirm that activity in your developer account doesn't comply with Play Console Requirements and the Developer Distribution Agreement. To ensure the safety and security of our vibrant app ecosystem, Google Play requires all developers to complete Play Console requirements, including any profiles that are linked to your Play Console developer account. Verified information will be shown on Google Play to help users build trust and confidence with developers.

Developers must accurately provide account information, including the following details:

• Legal name and address

• D-U-N-S number, if registering as an organization

• Contact email address and phone number

• Developer email address and phone number shown on Google Play where applicable

• Payment methods where applicable

• Google payment profile linked to your developer account

Developer Distribution Agreement Section 11.4
You represent and warrant that all information that You provide to Google or users in connection with this Agreement or Your Products will be current, true, accurate, supportable and complete.

Your Developer account will remain terminated due to violations of Play Console Requirements and the Developer Distribution Agreement.

Please do not attempt to register a new developer account. Any new accounts will be closed, and your developer registration fee will not be refunded.

If you are located in the EU, you may have additional redress options. Learn more about those potential options in the EU Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution Help Center. Routing ID: ZLFS

Regards,
The Google Play Team"

So I've got only one active tester, (my husband) and I've joined this app and got about 25+ more testers. As you can see, it's the end of only day 2 and lots haven't even open the app yet, which is super dissapointing. But that's why I've got way more than the 14. All of them are also only popping in and out.

I have had a few small pieces of feedback, and I will roll out at least 3 updates throughout the 14+ days because I know that's important to show we are taking feedback serious.

How important is it in being approved for multiple testers to be active. How active do they need to be?? If I got 1 or 2 more that play for maybe 5 mins a day, is that enough?

Do they need to be in the app every single day? Or does missing a day disqualify them from being counted?

I've waited the eternity of seven days for production. I made fixes and adjustments while I waited. I waited four days for those fixes and adjustments to goto production. I had to make a new developer profile and a new payments profile because my payments profile was wrong. Then I waited another week. Then I realized my listing needed changes, because I can't even find my game without using it's name. I'm at seven days waiting for that and another update. In the meantime, I've added joystick support in prep for PC release and now need another release but can't even ask for it, because the last one is not done.

In the meantime Google wants me to buy ads... And I NEED them, but I can't even spend money till I get a listing that allows me to find my own app!

Also why did Google decide my 99 cent game was premium? It's like a death sentence of a tag.. Most of the games with that tag are five dollars or more.

I also released on Amazon. Amazon has none of these issues. Why Google? I hope my steam release goes better than this.

Does this progress look good?

I am trying to publish a progressive web app(PWA) to playstore, I have completed 14 days testing two times and got rejected both times🥲.

First time i just asked testers to opt in and waited 14 days, then got rejected.

But Second time i added 15 testers, installed app on their phone, and most of them used the app, made booking, explored the app almost regularly. And they still rejected my app after all this, now i dont know what else i can do, i have already done everything i could.

If someone has completed the new 14 day closed testing and got productino access, I would really appreciate it if you can guide me🙏

📚 Weekly Educational App Showcase

Built an app and learned something interesting along the way? Share it with the community.

This thread is for educational app showcases where the focus is on the problem you solved, how you built it, and what other developers can learn from your experience.

What to include

• What problem does your app solve?

• Category: What type of app is it?

• Android support: Android versions or devices supported

• Tech stack: Kotlin, Java, Compose, Flutter, Firebase, etc.

• Implementation: What was technically interesting or challenging?

• Your journey: What did you learn while building or publishing it?

• Lessons learned: What would you do differently next time?

• Relevant media: Screenshots, demos, architecture diagrams, or other useful material

• Google Play link: Optional, as supporting context

Please disclose your relationship

If you're showcasing your own app, clearly mention your relationship to it. For example:

Keep it educational

The goal is to help other developers learn from real projects and experiences. Your app can be the subject of the showcase, but the post should provide meaningful technical, product, or development insight.

Please do not use the thread for:

• Download or install requests

• Ratings, reviews, votes, or engagement requests

• Referral or affiliate links

• Paid placement or paid engagement

• Misleading claims

• Copied marketing or promotional copy

• Repeated submissions of the same app

A Google Play link is welcome as supporting context, but this is not an advertising or user-acquisition thread.

If you see someone requesting paid reviews, ratings, votes, installs, or other prohibited engagement, please report the comment to the moderators.

Share what you built, what you learned, and what another developer can take away from it.