WE'RE ON THE PLAY STORE NOW!!!!!
SimpliPlay is FINALLY on the Play Store!!!!! Download it from here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_sonicforces207.simpliplay
After almost 2 YEARS of waiting since the app launched in December of 2024, here we ARE!
Google's new rules for sideloaded apps and their tester requirements made it really annoying to get SimpliPlay on the store, so the majority of my other apps will probably not be released on Play :/. I just wanted to put SimpliPlay on the store because many users asked for it, so I thought of trying it out, so it'd be more accessible to people who don't like sideloading :D
Production Access Form
Well... I didn't want to bother friends and family to test the app, especially when most of them are busy right now, and many of them don't have Androids.
So, I turned to Testers Community... I felt kinda guilty about using a paid service, but they got the job sort of done. If you can get organic testers who are committed to testing, I'd suggest asking them instead. But if you don't want to bother anyone, using a paid service is an alright idea.
BUT, there is a form called the production access form. It's what Google reads to decide whether or not you tested properly or not. Testers Community gave me answers, but they were terrible. But I can't blame them though, I already fixed most of the issues in the app.
They just noted the app not supporting system themes on Android (which I can add, but don't want to risk instability just yet). But, they also claimed the app not having a rate my app button as an "essential enhancement to improve user experience for all users". I knew it was a template, so I wrote my own super long answers that I had to shorten a bit to fit in 300 characters per answer.
After waiting out the 14 days and having 15 testers from Testers Community test, I finally submitted the form. I was anxious, as if I had gotten rejected, I'd have a chance of being forced to re-test for ANOTHER 14 days, which I couldn't afford to do because I was really busy.
Thankfully, it got accepted though. I thought the app was in production now, but it turns out they actually needed to REVIEW the app. The production ACCESS form only grants ACCESS to production, it doesn't outright push your app there.
Production AAB Review
THIS was where Google actually reviewed the app. I was kind of anxious, as I thought this was part of the access form... but after waiting for one week, they accepted it no hassle, TODAY, on Oct 6, 2026, at about 2:19 PM :D
Production "Policy violation"
Even though the app was approved with all of its permissions, today, on this SAME EXACT DAY, Oct 6, 2026, I figured out that MIT bundles a crash log reporter called ACRA. Long story short, I think it just gives details about what occured if my app crashes, and sends it to MIT. Because of this, I updated the data safety form to say the app technically collects data, but only for crash logs.
BUT, while I was trying to push the update to the form, I got a "policy violation" for using READ_MEDIA_VIDEO, despite the fact my usage of it was approved... TODAY!!! Insane, I know. So, I clicked Proceed anyway because I believed it was wrong of the bot to expect me to refactor a large portion of the app and add new virtual screens, which could mean crashes as the app ALREADY takes longer to compile than normal, and updated my reasoning on why my app needed the permission.
I just said: ExoPlayer is on Screen1 so it uses content URIs. To avoid compile errors (Screen1 is 3k blocks in App Inventor and struggles to compile), MediaPlayer is separate screen. TinyDB transfers file path, which requires this permission or it fails to play.
This IS exactly what happened, if you look at the source code. I tried RIDICULOUSLY hard to shorten it (which is why it's not saying stuff like "MediaPlayer is on a separate screen" and instead says "MediaPlayer is separate screen"). I was worried their bot would just DENY it for no reason, but thankfully my updated reasoning got accepted.
I REALLY hope I don't get any of these dumb publishing issues again, but it's safe to say I probably won't for quite a while. Phew!