Google Play Contacts Policy 2027 for Capacitor

Google Play has introduced a new Contacts Permissions policy effective from January 27, 2027. Apps targeting Android 17 (API level 37) or later can only declare the READ_CONTACTS permission if the Android Contact Picker cannot fulfill their core functionality. For Capacitor apps, if they only allow users to pick a contact, they must drop the READ_CONTACTS permission and use the Capacitor Contacts plugin's pickContacts(...) method with the property option.

This approach lets users select a single phone number, email address, or postal address without requiring any permission on any Android version. The contact picker, however, still requires the READ_CONTACTS permission below Android 17 as it grants access to the picked contact URI, which exposes no phone numbers, email addresses, or structured name.

Apps that need broader access to the contact list must submit a Play Console declaration explaining why the picker is insufficient. The key takeaway is that the contact picker's access is narrow and does not provide the full contact details, necessitating the use of the property option in the pickContacts(...) method for Capacitor apps.