Google Play: precise location declaration

What does Google Play require?

Every app that requests precise location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) must complete a declaration in Play Console: which features need it, and why coarse location or Android's location button is not enough. The declaration opens in November 2026 and compliance is mandatory from 27 January 2027, with 30-day extensions available in Play Console. For apps targeting Android 17, the location button becomes the required way to get precise location for one-time uses such as searching nearby or picking an address. Background location already has a declaration of its own.

Where it comes from in a Flutter app

The permission often arrives without anyone deciding on it. The location plugin declares ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION and the foreground location service permissions in its own manifest, so every app that uses it asks for precise location. geolocator, google_maps_flutter and permission_handler declare none: there the permission sits in the app's own AndroidManifest.xml. Other SDKs, for ads, analytics or maps, can merge location permissions in as well.

How to fix it

1. Run the free build check on the .apk or .aab. It lists the location permissions the merged manifest ends up with.
2. Decide per feature: continuous precise location (live tracking, navigation), a one-time position, or city level. Many apps need only coarse location.
3. For coarse only, declare ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION alone, and remove the precise permission a plugin merges in with tools:node="remove" in android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml.
4. Make sure the app still works when the user grants only approximate location.
5. If you keep precise location, prepare the answers for the declaration before it opens in November 2026, and make sure the store listing shows the feature that needs it.

The free build check reads your .apk or .aab in the browser and shows whether this applies to your build, without uploading anything.

Or have the whole build checked: the store readiness audit is €190, 2 working days.

Google Play requirements