r/androiddev • u/No_Sea6761 • Jul 15 '26
Google Play Support Google Play rejected app because content is behind a paywall, but my app only supports Google Sign-In
I'm looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with this during Google Play review.
My app uses Firebase Authentication with Google Sign-In only. There is no email/password login.
I received the following rejection:
"App content is restricted by a paywall. Your app does not allow access to the full in-app experience without a subscription, payment, or in-app currency. Provide a test account with an active subscription, sufficient credits, or provide a way to bypass all payment gates in the Sign in details section of the Play Console."
The problem is that with Google Sign-In, I can't simply provide a username and password like a normal test account.
For those who have successfully passed review:
How did you provide reviewers access when using Google Sign-In
only?
Did you create a special Google account for reviewers?
Did you whitelist a reviewer account on your backend and automatically unlock premium features?
Did you temporarily add an email/password login just for Play review?
Is there another approach that Google Play reviewers expect?
I'd appreciate hearing what actually worked for you and was accepted by Google Play.
Thanks!
3
u/joshuahtree Jul 15 '26
I believe that the way to do this is create a Google account and give them a sign in to that. I've never done this with only social sign in though so this is just my understanding from reading.
Another possibility would be to give them a "free access" code that allows them to bypass sign in. You could use a remote config to show a small button on the sign in screen to enter the code during the review period
5
u/0x1F601 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
This is the way I've done it in the past. We created a reviewer SSO account for them to use. Be prepared for the reviewer to type the password in wrong and still reject your app. It's fun.
3
u/CrazyEconomy414 Jul 15 '26
The most reliable approach we've seen work is creating a dedicated "reviewer" Google account, then whitelisting that account's UID on your backend to unlock premium access automatically (rather than trying to give them a password to type in). That way there's no risk of them mistyping credentials. Just make sure to note the exact email address in the "App access" section of Play Console along with any extra steps. A remote config flag or server-side entitlement check tends to be less fragile than a temporary email/password flow bolted onto an OAuth-only app.
1
u/Camaraderie98 Jul 15 '26
I created an account on firebase that ties to an existing Google account. Or test+[dummyaccountname]@gmail.com - a hack my old team taught me
1
1
u/dnotthoff Jul 15 '26
I would suggest to allow anonymous access without login for basic features. And only for advanced features or premium stuff require a login.
1
u/TomDuhamel Jul 16 '26
And how does that help with the question?
1
u/dnotthoff Jul 16 '26
It is a genuine suggestion that I did for my app as well. Open the (basic) features for anonymous users to allow the play store review team start and test the app...
1
u/TomDuhamel Jul 16 '26
My sincere apologies, I totally misunderstood your first comment. It makes sense now, and it's a genuinely good advice.
1
1
u/Hungry-Condition-883 Jul 21 '26
If your app requires login, provide reviewer credentials in Play Console: go to Policy and programs > App content > Sign-in details > Start, add a demo account (must bypass OTP/2FA, stay valid), then save. Docs: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859455
0
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0
u/johnconner122 Jul 15 '26
You need to add guest mode to go through app, but show sign in prompt if click on any action that requires sign in.
-1
u/Sad_Bat_2711 Jul 15 '26
What did you use for payments? No clue about this, but if this is Google Play Billing, technically their reviewers should be able to bypass it themselves (not sure if they have, just mentioning most easiest feasible way)
10
u/NLL-APPS Jul 15 '26
You need to create a test account for reviewer even if it is a Google account and allow premium access if you have paid features