Google Play rejected Sova AI app for using Accessibility API
🧭 worksocial problemSingle report ●●●●●
The developer of Sova AI reports that Google Play rejected their app submission because it uses the Android Accessibility API to perform cross-app automation, a feature the developer notes is similar to the agentic behavior promised but not delivered by native assistants like Gemini.
What people do today
- Distributing APKs directly via personal websites
- Using alternative app stores like F-Droid
- Implementing complex workarounds to avoid accessibility API triggers
🔧 Fix this
Ideas a builder, maker or community group could start on:
- A developer advocacy group focused on lobbying Google to create a specific 'Agentic App' permission category with clear safety guidelines.
- A standardized, open-source framework for cross-app automation that provides safety auditing tools to help developers pass Play Store compliance reviews.
- A decentralized app distribution platform specifically for power-user tools that are restricted by mainstream app store policies.
Real voices
“Because we use the Accessibility API for universal automation (literally mapping and clicking other apps), Google Play rejected our submission.”
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