Forum Discussion
Play Protect Blocking Custom DPC Apps — How to Get Approval or Alternatives?
Hi everyone,
I'm a developer who helps enterprises build custom DPC (Device Policy Controller) Reference Documentation apps to manage Android devices based on their unique requirements.
Recently, Play Protect has started blocking the installation of custom DPC apps, even when these apps are signed and used internally. The warning claims the app may pose a risk due to access to sensitive data - even though it's strictly for enterprise use.
To make things more difficult:
- Google is no longer accepting registration of custom DPC apps with Android Enterprise, which limits official distribution and management options.
- Android Management APIs don’t support all use cases, and also have quote limit.
- I’ve applied twice to join the Android Enterprise portal to build a SaaS-based device management platform, but both requests were rejected without a clear reason.
My questions for the community:
- Is there any official way to get a custom DPC app approved or whitelisted by Play Protect?
- Are there any alternative ways to manage Android devices at scale (outside of AMAPI or legacy EMM)?
- How can new developers or startups gain access to Android Enterprise features when onboarding is currently restricted?
Any help, direction, or shared experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Kulwinder
Hi Everyone,
After lot investigation I found the root cause. The app included certain sensitive permissions that are not allowed by Play Protect. Once I removed those restricted permissions, the app stopped getting flagged and worked as expected.
For more details, Google provides guidance on Play Protect warnings and how to avoid them here:
https://developers.google.com/android/play-protect/warning-dev-guidanceHope this helps anyone running into the same challenge!
16 Replies
Hi Everyone,
After lot investigation I found the root cause. The app included certain sensitive permissions that are not allowed by Play Protect. Once I removed those restricted permissions, the app stopped getting flagged and worked as expected.
For more details, Google provides guidance on Play Protect warnings and how to avoid them here:
https://developers.google.com/android/play-protect/warning-dev-guidanceHope this helps anyone running into the same challenge!
Thanks for this link, it helped me solve the issue as well.
I will elaborate on the exact issue I was facing.
In our DPC we removed all the service and permissions related to NOTIFICATION_LISTENER and SMS.
Google Protect then let our DPC app to be installed via QR code.
- Amit S
https://fieldx.io
I have just hit the same issue on an Android 12 device with our custom DPC. This is a configuration that has previously been working just fine.
"This app can install potentially harmful apps without your permission"
This is for fully managed devices only (Device Owner) in a strictly controlled environment.
Installing apps with minimal intervention is the main point.
Anybody got around this yet? Do we need to apply to Google for an exemption?
Is your DPC on Google Play steve_mdm? If not, publishing it there may help.
jasonbayton It is not on Play and the use case precludes it.
Basically the system including the DPC must be available on air gapped or intermittent networks so we must be able to download from a local source. This is also why we need the DPC to be able to install other apps from the same source. It's like an app store but only the content management part, not selling apps. Users will have mandatory apps and optional apps. All the apps will have license agreements in place and all third party developers will be aware of what is happening. All the users will also be fully aware. The Android devices will be fully managed and absolutely not for personal use.
Thinking about it, I suppose we could put it on Play as well but I'm not sure if it just being there but not downloaded from there would help.
I believe I am experiencing the same issue on some of my devices. I receive an error stating 'Cannot set up IT admin,' followed by a Google Play Protect pop-up. Any way to make the app trusted?
I ran into the same issue, and after digging around I found out it was happening because I was checking SMS through a broadcast receiver. Google blocked that starting with Android 14/15, so it was breaking the provisioning. Once I removed those permissions and the related code, everything worked fine again. Hope this helps!
What's the content of the popup? It could be a simple request for scan. The cannot set up error is likely unrelated
I'm facing the same issue. The app is used internally, but Google Play Protect has started blocking it from Android 15. I have submitted an appeal regarding this here, but I haven’t received a response from support yet. I’d appreciate hearing the community’s thoughts or experiences regarding this.
Same problem here
It is happening from Amdroid 15 correct?? Mine too.
Yes, At first it started with android 15, But Now in samsung device it's also blocking the app in android 14
