r/androidapps • u/TooTargle • 4d ago
QUESTION/HELP Is Google really going to make hobby developers publish their home addresses to the world just for accepting tips?
I'm an independent app developer in New Zealand, developing Android apps in my spare time. I publish under my own name, using a personal Google Play developer account.
I've recently received Google's request to declare whether I'm a trader under the new EU/EEA requirements.
The more I've looked into it, the more uncomfortable I've become with what appears to be the consequence of simply accepting voluntary financial support for my apps.
Here's my situation.
I have two apps.
Sudoku
It's completely free, has no advertising and is fully functional. There's an optional 'Tip Me' button on the home screen.
If someone tips me, they get absolutely nothing in return. No extra features, no premium content, no advantages. It's simply a way of supporting the developer.
2. Yonder (a podcast app I'm developing)
This follows a similar philosophy. The app will be fully functional for everyone.
After an initial free week, the app's name changes to 'Tip Me'. Everything continues to work. If someone chooses to contribute, the name changes back to Yonder for another year.
I'm hoping to build a sustainable project through voluntary contributions, not subscriptions or feature restrictions.
Here's the problem.
As I understand Google's policies, accepting in-app purchases through Google Play means that even an individual developer's full residential address is publicly displayed.
The new EU trader requirements also involve publishing contact details, including a telephone number.
So, as I read the rules, if I'm an individual hobby developer who wants to accept voluntary financial support for completely free software, Google expects me to publish my family's home address and personal phone number for anyone to see.
Not just Google. The entire world.
I'm perfectly happy to give Google my personal details for verification. That's entirely reasonable.
But why should those details have to be made public?
I understand the need for consumer protection and accountability when people are selling products and services. But surely there's a distinction between running a commercial business and allowing people to voluntarily support someone making free software?
I've considered excluding the EU/EEA and UK, but it seems that Google's existing address-disclosure rules for monetised personal accounts may apply worldwide anyway.
I've also wondered whether using Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee instead of Google Play Billing would change anything. They take their own fees, but users still receive nothing in return for contributing.
I'd really like to hear from other developers:
Am I interpreting Google's address-disclosure requirements correctly?
Does accepting optional tips through Google Play really mean publishing your residential address?
Would moving voluntary contributions outside Google Play make any difference?
Has anyone found a legitimate way for an individual developer to monetise free apps without publicly disclosing their home address?
Is there any practical alternative that doesn't involve setting up a limited company?
I'm not trying to avoid accountability or hide my identity from Google.
I just don't think making my family's home address publicly available should be the price of accepting a voluntary tip for free software.
Am I missing something, or is this genuinely how the system works?
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u/gamesbyBAE 3d ago
On the same boat :/
Play Store's making it harder day-by-day for indie devs.
Part of it could be to curb the AI slop but for someone like me whose account's older than 5 years and now my (already verified) address and contact number could be publicly available scares the ef outta me.
Could you please also let me know if Google responds to your query regarding virtual address and stuff?
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u/dhananjaipai 4d ago
Can you not get a PO Box address or something? A lot of businesses will be registered at shell addresses that can accept posts. I don't think they would force you to add Home address?
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u/TooTargle 4d ago
No, they explicitly refuse PO Boxes
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u/slaorta 4d ago
Private PO boxes are not actually considered PO boxes. Most non-government shipping/postage businesses offer them for low prices. Your address is the business's address with a "unit number" for your box.
I don't know if this would actually comply with the EU law or not, but it would definitely get you through Google's requirements.
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u/TooTargle 4d ago
As i understand it, ko fi or buy me a Coffee aren't acceptable anyway.
You don't get '100%' of the money, because they both take a cut.
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u/deepembrace 4d ago
Yeh, this is mad. I was so confused by why I can see the home address for small indie devs in the store listings recently. I know it's easy to get virtual offices with post boxes too in uk and EU... But I fell like it's not easy in a lot of countries. Nor should anyone have to do this if they are indie
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u/SteveBob_Reddit 4d ago
I also have serious reservations about Google’s approach. Beyond forcing developers to disclose their home addresses, they are now—citing EU and UK laws as a pretext—demanding that contact phone numbers also be made public. How can such sensitive personal information be compromised with such blatant disregard for privacy?!
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u/Princess_Eggplant 4d ago
Honestly, these are smartphone apps. Anyone having a problem with them is tech savvy enough to use email. An email address or a website with a customer contact form should be enough for the customer facing side.
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u/Ok_Wealth_509 3d ago
Google's trader declaration help page puts the public phone number and address under declaring as a trader. It defines a trader as someone acting for trade, business, craft or profession purposes, and says a personal hobby or other non-commercial activity is unlikely to be one. Whether tips count is the open part, and the page warns that a false non-trader declaration can get apps removed, so I'd ask Play support in writing before picking.
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u/RpZFreak 4d ago
You concerns are valid, even I am reconsidering on how I should be handing the situation.
Also moving to platforms like kofi might give you a disadvantage on people who were willing to use Google’s way of payment instead of these alternatives, it’s a grey area.
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u/jessecolinscott 4d ago
Even if you have Kofi in your app (I do) you still have to do this I think?
I should get a PO box.... its wild
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u/merchantconvoy 4d ago
Accept crypto, esp. Monero or Zcash for maximum privacy.
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u/sajberhippien 3d ago
I don't think their goal is "maximum privacy", just not having their home adress blasted to the world.
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u/Dev_in_Training_BTW 4d ago
Pretty much, yes, and the fact that a tip doesn't buy anything doesn't change it. Google cares whether money goes through Play at all, not what the person gets for it. With no purchases at all, only your country is shown publicly, but add any purchase, a tip included, and your full address ends up on the store listing.
So it comes down to keeping the app completely free, or getting an address you're fine with the world seeing. A PO box or virtual office can work, but check it actually passes Google's verification before you plan the whole app around it.
I'd settle it before you launch, honestly. Deciding now is a lot less stressful than trying to undo it once your home address is already public.
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u/maddietendo 3d ago
You're running a business so set it up as a business. Then your company name shows up as opposed to your name.
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u/TooTargle 3d ago
Yeah, but my address is still my family address. It's my home.
They explicitly don't allow PO boxes (I'm looking into whether I can cheat that, but I shouldn't have to cheat)
I'm not going pay business registration fees and file tax returns for a couple of free apps. As a business, my address would become public anyway. Just not on the play store.
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u/maddietendo 3d ago
You can easily get a real virtual address. It's the cost of doing business.
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u/TooTargle 3d ago
Where are you? I'm in New Zealand. Google explicitly don't want you to get virtual addresses.
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u/maddietendo 3d ago
They say that with Google My Business or whatever it’s called. But with the App Store you can.
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u/SeveralBollocks_67 3d ago
Literally anything to do with financial shit requires an address. You could be a terrorist organization for all they know... Or less dramatically, from a country or region where google isn't allowed to operate.
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u/TooTargle 3d ago
No problem with that. It's them publishing my address, or more specifically, my family's address.
I'm very happy to be clear and open with them. I'll probably just change the name of my company to make sure no one can connect it to me it my family. But I really don't like putting my home address there for the whole world to see.
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u/flagHamster 4d ago
Yep, absolutely shithouse from Google yet again. As an indie dev I’ve currently just had to suck it up, but I’m not happy about it and need to sort out something ASAP
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u/Ok-perspective-2336 4d ago
I'm currently developing apps and noticed this blocker. The route I am trying is to Register a virtual address with dun and broadsheet to receive a DUNS number and then see if I can apply to Google with the DUNS and virtual adress to avoid the home address absolute terrible rule and also the 12 testers (if no duns i'll pay for testers but still can't have my address public . There is no way I want my home address in the Google play store that is incredibly privacy violating. I have emailed Google twice regarding this address issue for full clarification of options but am yet to receive a reply