Google Play Rejection Due to Unity Ads SDK in a Kids App Without Ads

Hello everyone,

I’m facing an issue with getting my app approved on Google Play. My application is intended for children and does not include Unity Ads, only In-App Purchases. Despite this, I received a rejection from Google Play, mentioning that I needed to upgrade the Unity Ads SDK to version 4.0.1. Since I’m not even using Unity Ads in the first place, I’m pretty puzzled.

Has anyone encountered a similar issue and could guide you on how to resolve this?

I appreciate any help you can provide.

Not being sure what the exact notice from GP said, there are several bits you may wish to check.

Firstly, do check in project packages the ‘advertisements’ package really did not sneak in by some inadvertent wave of a wand; stuff happens.

The next thing to make sure is to upgrade the In-App Purchasing to something like 4.4.0, which supports GP Billing Library v4 that is the lowest currently allowed, yet only until this Nov. 1st, although it may be this holds only for those apps that have already been published and not new apps.

Since there’s no word on the used Unity Editor version, for IAP 4.4 one needs to have installed at least something like 2020.3.x, 2019 versions will not do.

Mind you, after Nov. 1st even for older apps, one will have to go for GP Billing Library v5.

One should also consider all apps have to target Android 13 (API level 33) or higher.

And since we’re at it; targeting API 33 requires a ‘custom main manifest’ (one checks that box in ‘build settings’ and the file is created), whereas the ‘activity’ tag needs be expanded to include the following, ‘<activity … android:exported=“true”>’.

In any case GP has been really responsive lately for these types of issues, so one should make haste. Of course, if none of this makes sense, you should ask GP directly to clarify, they are usually happy to do so.