Google Restores Full File Access Permissions for Nextcloud App in Google Play After Community Backlash

On May 15, 2025, the developers of the open collaboration platform Nextcloud announced that Google has reinstated permissions in Google Play for complete access to all files in the Nextcloud mobile app, which has over a million downloads. This change follows criticism of the American company’s actions in the tech community and aims to restore functionality that users were missing. Nextcloud is currently working on an app update for Google Play and expects to release a new version within a week.

Previously, the Nextcloud developers reported that Google had restricted permissions for full file access in the Nextcloud mobile app, citing security concerns, even though the app has more than a million installations. The project team believes that Google’s actions were deliberate for its own purposes rather than being motivated by user welfare.

According to Google’s requirements, the Nextcloud app was not allowed to request full file access permissions when distributed through the Google Play store. In contrast, the version available on the F-Droid catalog retains these permissions, but the vast majority of Nextcloud users opt for the app from Google Play.

Nextcloud representatives have submitted appeals to Google, explaining that the ability to access all files within the app is vital for synchronizing files between systems and facilitating user file sharing. Operations like these form the core functionality of Nextcloud and are among its competitive advantages.

The Nextcloud app has been available on Google Play since 2016 and has not previously raised any privacy concerns.