Author: admin

How to fix the “Families Data Practices” Google Play issue

Motivation:

You got the “Families Data Practices” issue from Google Play.
The detailed information is “your app or an SDK in your app transmits device identifier(s) from children or users of unknown age”.
This issue happens to your Android app with AdMob SDK.
You need to fix it to prevent your app from being removed from Google Play.

Solution:

1. Upgrade the AdMob SDK (Android) to the latest version.

2. Find the code below.

MobileAds.initialize(this, new OnInitializationCompleteListener() {
@Override
public void onInitializationComplete(InitializationStatus initializationStatus) {
}
});

3. Add the code below after the code above.

		RequestConfiguration requestConfiguration = MobileAds.getRequestConfiguration()
					.toBuilder()
					.setTagForChildDirectedTreatment(
							RequestConfiguration.TAG_FOR_CHILD_DIRECTED_TREATMENT_TRUE)
					.setMaxAdContentRating(RequestConfiguration.MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_G)
					.build();
			MobileAds.setRequestConfiguration(requestConfiguration);

TAG_FOR_CHILD_DIRECTED_TREATMENT_TRUE indicates that you want your content treated as child-directed for purposes of COPPA. This will prevent the transmission of the Android advertising identifier (AAID).

Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted.

4. Add below code to AndroidManifest.xml to disable Analytics data collection.

<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID" tools:node="remove" />
<meta-data android:name="firebase_analytics_collection_deactivated" android:value="true" />
<meta-data android:name="google_analytics_adid_collection_enabled" android:value="false" />

5. Submit your new build to Google Play.

Include the below message in the review request.

We have fixed it by setting TAG_FOR_CHILD_DIRECTED_TREATMENT_TRUE and MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_G as suggested on https://support.google.com/admob/answer/6223431?hl=en.

6. Go to Google Play > Releases overview and check Install base percentage of your new version. Include below note to your Release note:

Families Data Practices issue fix.

7. Submit an appeal with the message below.

We have fixed the issue by 

1. Preventing the transmission of the Android advertising identifier (AAID) as suggested on https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6048248 , and

2. Disabling Analytics data collection based on https://firebase.google.com/docs/analytics/configure-data-collection?platform=android

Could you please rescan the NEW app, version 9.0, released on Dec 12, 2023 and remove this warning?

How to fill Google Play “Data safety” for an app with AdMob

Motivation:

You have a Google Play application that uses AdMob for displaying ads in order to generate revenue.

Google requires you to complete the data safety section.

There are many options and you are not sure which options should be selected.

Suggestion:

Here are the options that you may select.

1. Does your app collect or share any of the required user data types? – Yes.

2. Is all of the user data collected by your app encrypted in transit? – Yes.

3. My app does not allow users to create an account. – Selected.

4. Do you provide a way for users to request that their data is deleted? – No.

5. Location > Approximate location. – Selected.

6. App activity > App interactions. – Selected.

7. App info and performance > Crash logs. – Selected.

8. App info and performance > Diagnostics. – Selected.

9. Device or other identifiers > Device or other IDs. – Selected.

For each option from 5 to 9:

i) Is this data collected, shared, or both? Shared

ii) Is this data processed ephemerally? No

iii) Is this data required for your app, or can users choose whether it’s collected? Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection)

iv) Why is this user data shared? Advertising or marketing

Reference: https://developers.google.com/admob/android/privacy/play-data-disclosure

How to fix the “Restricted ad serving – Google-served ads obscuring content” AdMob issue

Motivation:

You got the “Restricted ad serving” issue from AdMob.
The detailed information is “Google-served ads obscuring content”.
This issue happens to your iOS app.
You need to fix it to remove your ad serving restriction.

Solution:

1. Upgrade the AdMob SDK (iOS) to the latest version.

2. Review your UI to ensure that there are overlapped contents. If there is one then you may add margins to their frames to separate them.

Example code:

view.layoutMargins = UIEdgeInsets(top: 8, left: 8, bottom: 8, right: 8)

3. Repeat requesting a review in AdMob Policy center until it is approved. Typically it takes about a week for the restriction to be removed.

Include the below message in the review request.

We have fixed it.

How to check if your domain can be transferred from GoDaddy

Motivation:

1. You have registered a domain on GoDaddy.

However you cannot find a way to create forwarding email address.

2. Reason: Email forwarding credits are no longer included with a domain purchase.

Source: https://ie.godaddy.com/help/set-up-my-forwarding-email-address-7598

3. A solution: As of early June 2019, GoDaddy discontinued the addition of email forwarding credits to new domain registrations. An Email Forwarding package with 5 addresses is available for purchase at only about $3 a year. They can be purchased by contacting customer support and requesting a Legacy package.

Source: https://community.godaddy.com/s/question/0D53t00006Vm2rbCAB/want-to-set-up-email-forwarding-but-dont-have-redeemable-credit

4. You may want to transfer your domain from GoDaddy to NameCheap or Epik who supports creating forwarding email addresses for free.

However you should ensure that your new registered domain is eligible for transfer.

Solution:

1. Domains can be transferred almost any time.
However, ICANN prohibits domain transfers within 60 days of registration or prior transfer.

Source: https://www.godaddy.com/en-ie/domains/domain-transfer

2. Go to https://account.godaddy.com/subscriptions and review Billing Date to check how long your domain has been being on GoDaddy.

How to fix the “Restricted ad serving – Site Behavior: Navigation” AdMob issue

Motivation:

You got the “Restricted ad serving” issue from AdMob.
The detailed information is “Site Behavior: Navigation”.
This issue happens to your Android app.
You need to fix it to remove your ad serving restriction.

Solution:

1. Upgrade the AdMob SDK (Android) to the latest version.

2. Review all URLs in your application code to ensure that there is no broken link.

3. Upgrade all URLs with HTTP protocol to HTTPS protocol in your application code if there are any.

4. Repeat requesting a review in AdMob Policy center until it is approved. Typically it takes about a week for the restriction to be removed.

Include the below message in the review request.

We have fixed it.

How to fix the “Google-served ads obscuring content” issue

Motivation:

You got the “Google-served ads obscuring content” issue from AdMob.
This issue happens to your iOS app.
You need to fix it to re-enable your ad serving.

Solution:

1. Upgrade the AdMob SDK to the latest version.

2. Modify your code to add space between Google ads and your content.
The typical code is as follows.

view.layoutMargins = UIEdgeInsets(top: 16, left: 16, bottom: 16, right: 16)

3. Request a review in AdMob Policy center.
Include the below message in the review request.

We have upgraded the AdMob SDK to the latest version (9.5.0) and added space between the content and the ads. Code: view.layoutMargins = UIEdgeInsets(top: 16, left: 16, bottom: 16, right: 16).

How to relink an AdMob app with App Store app

Motivation: You have an AdMob application that already links to an incorrect Google Play app or Apple Store application. You want to change this incorrect link.

Solution: If the app is already linked, you can’t change it. For Android apps, you can add additional stores after linking.

The only thing that you can do at this moment is to go to Apps > VIEW ALL APPS, then find the correct app you linked, and create a new ad unit for use.

Reference: https://support.google.com/admob/answer/10037806

How to change Apple Store seller name?

Motivation: You have an Apple developer account used to publish your applications to Apple Store Connect. However you do not want your personal name to appear as applications’ seller name. You want to change your personal name to an alias, nickname, or company name.

Solution: The only way to change your personal name to an alias, nickname, or company name is to convert your Individual developer account to an Organization developer account.

In order to do it you have to prepare the following information:

1. A legal entity (i.e. a legal organization or company).

2. A D‑U‑N‑S number.

3. A legal binding authority (i.e. a legal approval from organization’s owner/founder).

4. A website

Then you need to contact Apple Developer Support so that Apple can make the change for you.

Source: https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/

When will you receive your Apple Store revenue?

Motivation:

You have some applications on App Store for sale. You want to know when you may receive your App Store revenue?

Answer:

Payments are made no later than 30 days following the end of each month.

To receive payment, you must have provided all required banking and tax information and documentation, as well as meet the minimum payment threshold, ranging from US$0.02 to US$150, depending on your country or region.

If you earned more than the minimum required to trigger a payment during August, 2021, you should see that money in your bank by September, 2021 or sooner.

Source: https://itunespartner.apple.com/books/articles/apple-books-payments-2748

Can we change the minimum payment threshold?

It seems that currently you cannot change the minimum payment threshold. There has been no official documentation about this ability.

How to avoid losing your Google Play Developer revenue?

Problem:

You went to Google Play Developer Console, then navigated to Settings > Developer account > Payments settings, then clicked on the View transactions button under the Transactions section.

Then you may have gotten a transaction with the Escheated to U.S. state or territory: DE description.

What happened?
The answer is that Google had given your revenue to U.S. state governments.

Clarification:

What is escheatment?

Google’s answer: Companies in the U.S. are obliged to give assets that they believe are abandoned to U.S. state governments. For U.S. residents it’s the state government of the state where you’ve told us you reside. If you reside outside the U.S., then it’s our state of incorporation (Delaware). We consider an account abandoned if there’s been no activity on that account for 2-5 years (depending on your state of residence). Activity on your account means:
– You signed in to your account, and
– You successfully received a payment from your account.

What should I do?
If your balance has been escheated to the state government, you can apply to your state government unclaimed property office to have the money returned to you. You can find your unclaimed property office by typing the name of your state together with “unclaimed property” into Google Search.

How can I avoid having my account balance escheated?
If you have enough of an account balance, then make sure that you’ve met the conditions to get paid. The most common reasons for not getting a payment are:
– You haven’t set up your form of payment, or
– You haven’t submitted your tax information, or
– You have not reached the payment threshold.

Lessons learned:

Set payment threshold to a small number so that you can get paid at least once. Then change it to any value that you want.

Source: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/6327445?hl=en