[Android Apps and Games] AndroidDeveloperLB:
Some changes to my LWP+ app

Android 12 and below used the simple storage permission of READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE in order to get the current wallpaper. On Android 13, it seems Google has overlooked about this, and left "MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" storage permission (AKA "all files access) to do it instead. People even noticed it before I have:

Google Issue Tracker

issuetracker.google.com

Over the past months (probably a year by now), I tried to target Android 13, and because of Google's new strict rules, they rejected all my updates as they don't allow to use this permission easily.

They also had some issue with QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission, which I needed to detect current live wallpaper, but somehow I got this approved for a while, and recently it got rejected as well.

I tried to add a backup feature that uses the permission, but they still didn't consider it as a "core feature". Not to mention they insisted it's possible to get the current wallpaper using other ways such as MediaStore and SAF file picker (both are wrong as they are not media files because there is no extension, and because they are hidden in a protected path).

After writing and searching about this, it seems I was too late to know about what's going on.

I tried to raise awareness to this, on both reddit (here and here), also asked on StackOverflow (here) .

I also tried to create many threads with requests and bugs on the issue tracker, hoping that Google will take action and tell the policy team about how wrong they are. If you care about my app, please consider starring :

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/261901736

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/261901739

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/263721379

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/265579414

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/272540594

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/273066280

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/279639441

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/286675155

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/286087850

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/286247184

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/289961076

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/294562510

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/296255508

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/303833216

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/296156198

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/293630954

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/277298134

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/274627672

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/261901745

Sadly none of these worked, and even though Google itself agreed this is the current behavior (including for the QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission, but at least there they offer an alternative for Android 14 and above), the Play Policy just doesn't read anything. They ignore all that I wrote to them.

The only good news I got is that Google wrote somewhere they consider a new permission, but said it won't be on Android 14. So Android 13-14 are stuck with requiring the MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE that the policy team doesn't approve for most apps.

XDA also published an article, mentioning my app's name in it, saying it will be an issue:

https://www.xda-developers.com/android-14-has-a-wallpaper-problem/

I then tried to create a whole new app, which has only one feature : to backup your current wallpaper. I also published it here on XDA, in case people wish to try it out. If you wish, you can use this tool to backup the current wallpaper, for now:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-7-0-get-my-wallpaper.4610603/

After trying to publish this tiny backup app, the policy team became even more illogical:

In addition to the wrong claim that other ways are possible to get the current wallpaper, they also won't let me use the QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission to find about live wallpapers, and also they claim it's not a core feature even though it's the only feature of the app.

I tried to extend the time to update the app, and now it's the last day of doing it. If I don't publish the app, it will fade away over time because of even more strict rules of the Play Store.

During this time, I tried to prepare the best video I can, with a presentation, with many links and proofs that not only that I do the only thing possible, but all the claims that I can do it in a different way - are wrong. I also provided a sample project. I also tried to talk with the support team of the Play Console, but they said I just need to send an appeal (which I've done already, many times).

Still, no progress whatsoever.

So now I'm publishing a new version of the app, without a way to backup/import current wallpaper, sadly...

Maybe some day it will be back, if Google will offer a new permission/alternative. Till then, I will try to have some workaround, perhaps in the form of a new app.

Please consider to subscribe to thread's updates there and here. I hope I will find some better way to do things...

This post was also written on reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/17k9qri

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Later I've finally succeeded to publish an app for backup of various things, including current wallpapers:

https://xdaforums.com/t/app-8-1-lwp-customized-monet-colors.3720622/post-89476256

You can download it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/....com/store/apps/details?id=com.lb.backup_plus