Why Am I So Afraid to Update My Google Play Apps?

Published: 2024.08.03.
Last update: 2024.09.24.

Healthy Battery Charging is a free, open source app that notifies you when your battery level reaches a certain threshold. To minimize battery consumption, battery level checks are performed at most every 15 minutes.

Thanks to the open-source community, I recently translated the app into Portuguese. However, when I tried to publish the update on Google Play, it was rejected due to a Deceptive Behavior Policy violation:

I filed a complaint, but Google's response was nearly identical to the original one.:

 Attached screenshot:

At this point, I gave up arguing with them. Google Play users won't receive this update, and possibly future ones as well. They can find the app elsewhere:

• Healthy Battery Charging on GitHub, 
• Healthy Battery Charging on F-Droid, 
• Healthy Battery Charging on IzzyOnDroid.

Please note that GitHub is the best source for immediate updates.

As I already mentioned, Healthy Battery Charging is a free and open-source app without any ads, so my finances aren't affected in this case. It makes me wonder about the consequences if it were one of my commercial apps. Perhaps these policy violations count against my app publisher 'score' and could lead to my app publisher account being closed? I hope not.

I'd love to hear about similar experiences other developers have had. If you find yourself in a similar situation and want to communicate with a real person instead of a brain-damaged bot, this post might be helpful: Google Play Store contacts for Android app developers.

 

Update 2024.08.07: I contacted Google Play Business via twitter, and they just confirmed their initial decision:

Update 2024.08.11: Asked for community help here - False Deceptive Behavior Policy violation, app doesn't claim features impossible to implement.

Update 2024.08.12: I once again contacted support via email, describing the app functionality, and here is their reply:

At the same time I received this reply, my app update was approved. I'm not sure how to explain this inconsistency in the approval process. Probably the reviewer wasn't informed of the app suspension or he/she had a different interpretation of the policy.

 

Update 2024.09.17: My app is suspended again, the same policy violation. This time the sentence "Make your smartphone or tablet battery last longer!" is causing the problem.

I have filed an appeal since the scientific fact is that keeping your Li-ion battery charged between 40 and 80% does extend its life.

Still, the most terrifying thing about false accusations of Google Play policy violations is the following: the termination of your Developer account. Your indie dev future is actually in the hands of bots and uninformed half-bot reviewers.

My original community help post (False Deceptive Behavior Policy violation, app doesn't claim features impossible to implement) was locked, so I have created a new one here:
False Deceptive Behavior Policy violation, part II.

Update 2024.09.24:

My appeal was rejected, unsurprisingly, with threats of a complete suspension of the developer account included.

The app will remain free and open-source, and it will be available on alternative app stores. It's time to move away from Google.