I'm in a similar boat with one of many android app updates on Google Play. Over the last couple of weeks I pushed out updates to dozens of app listings with one app review rejected due to failing to disclose data my app absolutely does not collect. Specifically, a user's phone contacts. An app has to disclose on the store listing that type of data if it's transmitted off of the device. So I have this false positive with my initial appeal denied. I'm not sure how to move forward. Concede and change my Data Safety form on the listing? Insist false positive again? I'm in a bit of deadlock.
I like having one-purpose simple apps with no ads, and OSS if possible.
I have switched to FDroid and download apps from there even if the same apps are available from Google Play Store. Like VLC, Syncthing, Ankidroid, etc.
I also switched to OSS alternatives from FDroid, deleting Play Store apps, and I have zero regrets. Some examples-
1. Antennapod is better podcast player than anything on Play Store, like Pocket Casts, Podbean, etc.
2. Voice is the best audiobook player for local files for Android.
3. Feeder is a great RSS reader. Can't use anything else here.
FDroid is not only useful, it is fun, too. I have an app called Bubble which is a spirit level app using the phone's sensors. It's like using Windows in the 00s, and discovering indie apps and playing with them.
It also has apps like Exodus where you can check permissions used by apps to check suspicious permissions.
Getting this right now with Google and Apple. Extremely frustrating, especially after years of working in the space.
honestly just use F-droid. If you're on Android already, might as well use the wonderful feature sideloading is
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Background: Syncthing is an open source automatic file synchronisation project. As such it needs permissions for full access to a device's filesystem. Since Feb 2024 Google Play has been rejecting updates to the app because it requests this permission, but without any sensical reason. The maintainer who handles this has repeatedly re-submitted with clear reasoning, but has no option but to cease requesting reviews as a result of repeated insubstantial rejections.