Google To Make Account Deletion Easy For Users On Android Apps

It can be easy to create an account for a mobile app, but not so much when it comes to deleting one. However, Google is working on a fix. 

On Wednesday, the company announced it’s requiring “apps that enable app account creation” over Google Play to also include an option for account and data deletion within both their Android apps and over their websites. 

The change promises to make it easy to stop an unused app from possessing your personal information. The account deletion option will also be available in web form over the Google Play Store, removing the need to reinstall an Android app to scrub the information. 

The company previewed the change in an image that shows an app listing on the Google Play Store featuring a button that says “Account deletion available.” Clicking the section will then take you to a new tab, giving you direct links to developer’s website for account deletion and account cleanup.

“By creating a more intuitive experience with this policy, we hope to better educate our shared users on the data controls available to them and create greater trust in your apps and in Google Play more broadly,” the company wrote(Opens in a new window) in a blog post. 

“As the new policy states, when you fulfill a request to delete an account, you must also delete the data associated with that account,” Google added. “The feature also gives developers a way to provide more choice: users who may not want to delete their account entirely can choose to delete other data only where applicable.”

The new requirement follows Apple, which also began forcing(Opens in a new window) iOS developers last June to add an account deletion function within their apps. The same function will also erase all user data tied to the deleted account. 

Like Apple, Google is giving app makers time to implement the coming requirement before rolling out the changes. The company told developers: “Early next year, Google Play users will begin to see reflected changes in your app’s store listing, including the refreshed data deletion badge in the Data safety section and the new Data deletion area.”

Developers will have until December 7 to submit the necessary data deletion details, although they can also request an extension for until May 31, 2024. Google also notes app developers can retain certain user data, despite offering the account and data deletion options. However, the data has to be retained for legitimate reasons “such as security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance,” and the practices must be disclosed to the user.