Google Play foreground service permissions policy: fixes and checks

A foreground service isn’t a general way to keep your app running. Google expects a useful task that’s relevant to the app, visible to the user, stoppable, and active only as long as needed.

What to check

For apps targeting Android 14 or later, match every service to its valid foreground service type and permission. A location service, for example, needs the appropriate location service declaration.

Check what starts the work, how users know it’s running, and how they stop it. Ask whether Android could defer the task without breaking what the user expects. Routine background maintenance usually needs a different scheduling approach.

How to address the rejection

Remove unnecessary service declarations and move deferrable work to a suitable background API. For qualifying work, make the notification accurate, provide a working stop path, and stop the service when the task ends.

The official policy has specific exceptions for certain service types. Verify the exact exception before relying on it. Submit a demonstration of the real feature and the declarations for the build under review.