Google is taking this type of app seriously: it no longer grants permission to your entire media library.
Privacy is very important, and sometimes unintentionally, we open the door of our Android device to apps that request access to a series of permissions.
Media Library is one of the most sensitive permissions in the Android ecosystem, and Google has long been asking developers to adopt a new media selector.
Android's new media selector lets you grant access only to the photos and videos the user wants, and now that will be the norm.
However, today, not all Android apps use this new media selector, which is why Google's app is starting to get really serious.
Google recently informed developers that they will start taking action against apps that request access to READ_MEDIA_IMAGES and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO permissions to access multimedia files starting in mid-2024.
By early 2025, only multimedia apps whose primary functionality revolves around photos and videos will be able to use these permissions.
So developers whose apps use media permissions have until October 31 to implement the new media switcher and ask Google to approve the ad.
If they do not have time due to any circumstances, developers also have the option to request an extension until January 22, 2025.
However, if developers do not meet the deadline, their apps will be removed from the Google Play Store.
It is worth noting that only private and business management applications are exempt from this new policy that Google has been warning about for some time.