Google is Threatening to Remove Apps with Accessibility Services from the Play Store

[Tobias S.]

Hello.

I just heard that google will ban apps that use accessibility-services unless they follow Google’s guidelines.

"The company is informing developers that if their application uses an Accessibility Service for any reason other than assisting users with disabilities, then they must remove the use of this permission within 30 days or their application will be removed from the Play Store. Failure to abide by this requirement can result in an infraction against a developer’s Play Store account, which can eventually lead to account termination."  https://www.xda-developers.com/google-threatening-removal-accessibility-services-play-store/

That's a big problem. What does that mean for the future of enpass autofill?

[Guest Vikram Dabas]

Hi @Tobias S.

Enpass does use the Accessibility services for Autofilling via Notifications and Enpass Keyboard. This decision of Google to remove those application using Accessibility services for purpose other than helping the disabled users definitely affects autofilling by Enpass. We were working on to improve autofill using Accessibility but unfortunately now we have to drop all those plans. 

If within 30 days there is no alternative or exception by Google, sadly we have to drop the use of Accessibility services leaving the users with Enpass keyboard for manual filling in apps and Chrome browser. Thought there is also an option using Android autofill on Oreo devices but we also know that the number of Android O devices is very less in market. At the moment there is nothing much we can say about it except that there would be a tough time for our beloved users with autofilling until more users have devices with Android O and apps supporting smooth autofilling using Android autofill service and OpenYOLO. 

Thinking the best for you.

[Avogadro]

It only concern apps on the play store, please don't take off the autofilling and offer the .apk directly on you website without going on play store.

Others actors of passwords managers apps are also concerned, even paid services like Dashlane so I think you should not leave besides this very important functionality.

 

I prefer to return with google smart lock rather than copy paste my login and passwords each time.

[Tobias S.]

23 minutes ago, Avogadro said:

It only concern apps on the play store, please don't take off the autofilling and offer the .apk directly on you website without going on play store.

Others actors of passwords managers apps are also concerned, even paid services like Dashlane so I think you should not leave besides this very important functionality.

 

I prefer to return with google smart lock rather than copy paste my login and passwords each time.

I don't think manually installing the .apk is a good long-term solution.

[Avogadro]

I think it's a better solution that no autofill at all.

[Robin]

5 minutes ago, Tobias S. said:

I don't think manually installing the .apk is a good long-term solution.

If the developers don't mind keeping an unofficial app next to their Play Store variant, then I'd really love that option.
That way users can keep that functionality until they make a switch to Oreo.

I'm not asking to further develop on the Accessibility API of Android, that would be pointless if Google decides they can't use it.
But if the current version could be kept up-to-date on the website and the Play Store version without the Accessibility option, it would help out most of us during this transition towards Oreo, no?

[Tobias S.]

I agree. But there has to be a different solution for updating the app for example an in-app updater or at least a notification that links to the latest .apk version.

[Robin]

Oh sure, I'm not gonna argue that just manually installing each update would be cumbersome.

To be fair, I hadn't thought about it that far yet. But I do like your proposal if the devs are open to it.

[bazted]

There are other stores which will allow us to update normally. I mean Aptoide.

I hope that there is a way to find a workaround for autocompletion of Enpass Keyboard at least. I am not sure how does it work, but Google won't ban keyboards like Swift Keyboard etc which autocompletes EditTexts normally.  

 

[Guest Vikram Dabas]

Hi all,

Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts.

We respect your opinions but offering Enpass app package (apk) from our website or any other store except Google Play is not a permanent and viable solution. This will also put the security at stake by introducing means for getting a tempered file delivered to users through unknown sources. Hope you can also understand that how painful it would be for us to manage new purchases of pro licenses along with intricacies in restoring the existing purchases which are currently handled by Play Store itself.

Thanks for your understanding.

[Tobias S.]

Apparently, LastPass is not affected by this change as they 'work very closely with Google'. It's not fair to treat big developers differently. 

http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/11/16/lastpass-unaffected-googles-accessibility-app-purge/

[DarkStar]

I am getting Oreo real soon (OnePlus) and hope that Enpass supports Oreo Autofill API, so that I don't have to use the Accessibility Service and autofill finally works in Firefox, not only Chrome. Are you working on Oreo Autofill at all or did you decide not to given its market share? AFAIK LastPass has a working Beta. To me, this will soon become an important feature of the password manager.

[Tobias S.]

good news

http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/12/07/google-pauses-accessibility-app-ban-considers-responsible-innovative-uses-accessibility-services/