Nextcloud cries foul over Google Play Store app rejection

Re:Nextcloud cries foul over Google Play Store app rejection by tecleandor on Tuesday May 13, 2025 @12:09PM (#43974481)

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not saying that it's good or bad, I just say that some people like to sync/backup/copy their apps data (that sometimes it's located on private directories, or in the Downloads folder...), and they were able to do it before. And that the new API has less permissions than the one that Google wants them to use.

Google Play, or at least that's what they say in their docs, might allow the use of the MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE "all files" API call "...if your app includes a use case similar to any of the following: File managers, Backup and restore apps, [...] Document management apps ..." [0][1]. And the Nextcloud app sounds very similar to that.

Of course, it's all "Subject to Google Play review and approval.", but why they used to grant that permission to Nextcloud with no problem and revoked it suddenly... I have no idea.

---

  0: https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/manage-all-files#all-files-access-google-play
  1: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10467955#zippy=%2Cpermitted-uses-of-the-all-files-access-permission

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Nextcloud cries foul over Google Play Store app rejection by izacus on Tuesday May 13, 2025 @01:29PM (#43975457)

Note that `MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` permission doesn't allow access to /Android anymore either (it's blocked by OS permisisons) so it won't help Nextcloud to retain it either.

Thing is, Nextcloud doesn't need that permission since they can do what they do now with SAF which is how Google determines eligibility for the exception. That is - if you can do it with SAF, you don't need complete access to all private data via MANAGE permission.

[ Parent | on HN ]