Hi Michael,

Yes, we did have this kind of warning issue a few months ago and by right, the latest version of the Android app should no longer contain QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission on the app manifest. This warning is most likely being targeted to your older version of the Android app where it still contains the said permission.

To check if this is the issue, may I know the full warning messages sent by Google? Does it mention any kind of 'Version Code' number in the message? If yes, what is your current version code release for your app? You may check the current version code from your Google Play Console > choose your app > Release overview. If the current version code does not match the one mentioned in the warning message, you may safely ignore the message.

HI,

That makes sense. We are using an older version as some of the updates to the app we could not move forward with till some of the issues were resolved. Plus the change in how the web view works means we have had to change some of the code on our site. We have done this now and are now trying to get a new build for Google Play but the builds have failed twice.

Could you let me know what the issue is so we can get the new release out.

Thanks for your help

Mike

Hi Michael,

I have checked the error log and it seems like it was hitting the following error for your Android build.

[stderr]      ERROR:/app_assets_views_login_cover.png: AAPT: error: failed to read PNG signature: file does not start with PNG signature.

[stderr]      ERROR:app_assets_views_login_cover.png: AAPT: error: file failed to compile.

This indicates that the login cover image is not in pure PNG format. May I know if the image was renamed to .png instead of pure PNG?

Hi Michael,

I also saw that your latest iOS build also failed. Here is the error is shown.

Destroying keychain - /var/folders/h2/gp9wlkv11lg0qj6y2mnqgc_40000gn/T/turtle-v2-51560f4e-a95e-4e16-985a-b0b64fe82cbd.keychain

Distribution certificate with fingerprint 1C3D5140F58EBA562E33E9A5287982250F59A9D9 hasn't been imported successfully

Based on all of the errors above, it is usually caused by one of the following:
1. Provisioning Profile has expired.
2. Distribution certificate (p12) has expired.
3. Mismatch provisioning profile with the provided p12 file.
4. p12 file or provisioning profile file is invalid/corrupted.

Ideally, you should regenerate both the p12 file and provisioning profile at the same time to ensure that everything is in order. You may refer to our documentation on how to recreate the p12 file and provisioning profile and see how it goes.

Hi,

Our login cover image I believe is and always has been a gif. We would like to keep this, has this been changed in Titan to only allow png?

Certificate had expired on the 15th of this month so we will get that fixed for ios.

HI,

On removing the gif and another gif the android version build has been successful, as the ios after the p12 updates you mentioned. Thank you for your help.

We would love the gif option to be added again if possible.

Thanks

Mike

HI,

So we sent a new release for review to google using the latest build. It has been rejected again on the QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES issues.

Please see attached

Any advice on what we should do?

I have read the new doc about this package, seems it could be to do with linking to conversations app. We do not sue that but cannot find the setting in Titan. Where is this setting?

Mike

Hi Michael,

I am sorry for the delay in this reply.

I have read the new doc about this package, seems it could be to do with linking to conversations app. We do not sue that but cannot find the setting in Titan. Where is this setting?

You are correct, hence we decided to remove this feature from our builder due to the current limitation that prevents us to include this exact permission on the Android Native code.

May I know if have you tried to remove all of the older packages from all available Tracks (Testing, Internal, Etc) as suggested in the screenshot below? We have several customers that faced this issue before and most of them get resolved by performing this step. Hopefully, it will be the same here as well.

I did have a test one with older code, though not sure how to delete. I have paused them and made inactive. And sent the app for review again. I appreciate your help. Hopefully that will work. On a good note the ios version has gone straight through and is live.

Mike

Hi, we are still not getting the app through android review. We now get this pre release warning saying the app contains outdate SDK. See attached.

Hi Michael,

I am sorry for the delay in this reply.

We now get this pre release warning saying the app contains outdate SDK

Hm, based on the message it says that the app with Version Code 16 is the one that has the issue. May I know what is the latest Version Code of your newly built app? You may refer to my early reply on how to check for Version Code, https://stackideas.com/forums/warning-query-all-packages#reply-586802

HI,

Thank you for your reply. I forgot about this part. The version we are on is 26 (16 is the current live one) which we are trying to replace.

We have made a new build, created a new release, deactivating all other tracks and updated the safety data form as they requested via another email. This one is still in review, it seems though we did get an app rejection email (see attached) last night but on the developer console it is still showing as in review.

Hopefully this one will make it through. Is it worth asking for an appeal if the Query_all_packages is no longer being used then it seems they are detecting something, or I am missing a tick box, that is not there?

Mike

The latest build has been rejected, two issues. Same issue with Query_All_Packages and then another about blocking abusive users. We have appealed the second on the basis that this can be done.

The Query_All_Packaegs however we are not able to appeal as I do not know on what grounds.

screenshot is the rejection letter

Hi Michael,

Hm, this is really odd. We are not entirely sure if this is the issue with Google itself as there are similar users with the same problem as yours. Refer to my link here, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/72764839/query-all-packages-permission-issue-while-my-app-doesnt-contain-it.

Perhaps you can add me to your Google Playstore team instead so I can check further on the issue?

I am sorry that I forgot to include my email address earlier. Here is my email address, ezrul@stackideas.com.

I have added you to our users. I appreciate the support with this.

Hello Mike,

Hm, this is very weird. I have checked all of the available tracks for your app and it seems like everything should be closed as intended. Yet, somehow the app reviewer still detecting that there is some trace of QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES somewhere on your play store console. The funny thing is, your current released app (version code 16) does not contain the said permission at all.

You may refer to the following URL in order to check for the permission requested for the app.

Version code 16 (currently live on play store) - https://play.google.com/console/u/0/developers/4725594970328682606/app/4975301248771257317/app-bundle-explorer?artifactId=4859685814006972903

Version code 26 (latest) - https://play.google.com/console/u/0/developers/4725594970328682606/app/4975301248771257317/app-bundle-explorer?artifactId=4859750134762496167




Unfortunately, this is something that you need to clarify directly with Google whether this is a bug in their review system or there is something missing from our end. You may ask plainly about the issue and point them to the URL I mentioned above > Permission and say that the QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES are no longer there within the app.

If they insist and the error still shows afterwards, perhaps you can try to rebuild the app one last time and see if that is able to clear out the warning. Hopefully, this may be able to help you with the issue.

Hi thank you for that, how did you get to that permissions section? The link asks me to log in then just takes me to the dashboard page.

I will ask for an appeal with the info you have provided and see what happens then.

Many thanks

Mike

Hi Mike,

Their navigation itself is very confusing. It took me quite a while to figure out where to access the page in the first place . Anyway, you may access each link by following the navigation as follow:

Google Play Console > MedalMad Challenges app > Release Overview (Left Sidebar) > Scroll down to Latest Release > Click on the Arrow icon at the most right of the app's latest version (16 or 26) > Scroll down to App Bundle > New app bundles > Click on Arrow icon at the most right of the app listed > Click on Explore App Bundle at the top right of the popup > Scroll down and you should see the App Permission.

Hope these help.

Hi.

So they have come back on our appeal. See below. This seems to indicate they are finding the query issue in the older test tracks but they are not active.

Specifically, we found the following issues in Open Testing Track Version Code 4 and Closed Testing Track Version Code 5.

I need to look into that.

They have also added a new one

We’ve identified that your app is using the com.segment.analytics.android: analytics SDK/Library which collects personal and sensitive data that includes but may not be limited to Advertising ID, Android ID identifiers. We do not allow 3rd party SDKs to collect persistent device identifiers that may be linked to other personal and sensitive user data or resettable device identifiers.

Any idea on this one?

Hi Mike,

This seems to indicate they are finding the query issue in the older test tracks but they are not active.

Hmm, that is odd. I can't seem to find those testing tracks as active anywhere from last time and as you said, they are currently inactive. There must be some error from Google itself hence you need to keep in touch with them and see how it goes.

> Any idea on this one?

Hm, we are not entirely sure why this error keeps appearing for your app since we do not have any recent warning from Google from our latest submission. Weirdly, none of our other users are facing this issue up until now. Perhaps this could also be related to the older app on both of the testing tracks and has nothing to do with your new app submission.

Regardless, we will try to conduct a test with the new submission again from our end to see if we can replicate the error there.

HI,

So good news the app has been approved. After several emails, and even after I uploaded the new builds into all current and previous tracks, active and inactive the app was rejected. However I managed to get a resolution when I asked them to delete all but the current build from our developer console. Once they did that it was approved straight away.

So nothing your end at all all their end.

Thank you again for your help, much appreciated.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Great! Finally some good news . We will note down this approach and hopefully, it will help others having a similar issue with the app approval process for Android.