It is not the first time that a popular third-party app has mysteriously disappeared from the Google store. Last year we met like Heel for Twitter It was eliminated from the Play Store, although this time by the creator of the app since it had exceeded the allowed tokens, but it happens that many times it is Google itself the one that has to regulate to remove certain popular apps to the confusion of users who relegate to that application for certain reasons.
Now it has withdrawn from the Play Store the popular Tasker app, which among its great tasks is the automation of actions from an Android device. One of the most advanced apps that exist and that you would almost need a guided course to be able to get the most out of it. With this app we can create any automated action, as if we wanted to turn on the flashlight if we released the word "potato" as a voice command or something else crazy, since surely Tasker has the plugin for it.
Without prior notice…
Have an app of such popularity and that from one day to the next disappear from the Google app and video game storeSurely, if we put ourselves in the shoes of the developer, we could get a lot of anger. And more, if when we try to get in touch with Google, we see that it is not as easy as it should be, which could completely depress us as a creator of successful apps on Android.
Above all, if you know that this app has been one of the culprits for the great success of the platform great versatility that gives a user when you know how to get your hands on them. It has offered many possibilities, so that now it is suddenly not available in the Play Store to the displeasure of the thousands of users who have it installed and that it helps them to have all kinds of activities and actions from their Android device.
We are not going to fall short of what it means to remove Tasker without warning and that it is a of the least understandable actions that Google has been able to perform in the history of Android. The developer, Pent, received this message on the developer console: «This app has been removed from the Play Store for a violation of the developer guidelines program regarding dangerous products. Please review the Optimizing for Doze and App Standby article, modify your app manifest and resubmit it. More details have been sent to the account owner.»
The reason
It seems that the removal of Tasker from the Play Store is due to the existence of a permission that disables Doze in the app manifest: android.permission.REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS. It was precisely the same reason that Localcast was also removed from the Play Store.
The funny thing is that this permission is not in the version of the Tasker Play Store. The permission is available in a beta recently distributed independently on the Tasker website, so Pent had been advised by a friend to be careful with that permission and not release it in the final version on the Play Store. What is supposed is that the reason why Google has found this version is that a beta user of the app has made a bug report or it has been through the verification of Google resident in the device that is in charge of "investigating" installed apps.
Anyway, with an app like this it should have been considered a deal at least a little closer not just a message from the developer console. The only thing that implies is that you are the developer you are and although your app has global implications for Android to be considered a great OS, any failure will get the app to be removed from the Play Store.
Meanwhile, we have a wide variety of apps that more threaten the performance of the phone and its battery that an app that has allowed Android to spread like foam thanks to its great versatility in every way. Hopefully we'll have it back on the Play Store soon for download and use.