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New Google Play Policy Affects Use of Account Kit Permission

January 8, 2019ByCalvin Mak

On Jan. 9, 2019, Google's new policy about certain SMS-related permissions will come into effect. The new restrictions will apply to the use of the RECEIVE_SMS permission that Facebook's Account Kit for Android uses in some cases.

If your app uses this optional permission, you can remove the RECEIVE_SMS permission from your app's manifest to comply with the new policy and ensure that Account Kit keeps functioning as expected. However, the verification code received via SMS will stop being populated automatically.

Developers can also file a permissions declaration form to avoid being removed from Google Play. Based on the Google informational page, developers need to submit the form by Jan. 9 and will have until March 9, 2019 to bring apps into compliance. Check out the Google website for more information about this change and ways to file for an extension.

Facebook is dedicated to serving its developer community, and given this new policy, the next version of the Account Kit SDK will no longer use the RECEIVE_SMS permission.