Hello!

I am a beta tester and can only write private reviews to the developer of Revolut.

I wrote my review and got the following reply:

Dear Play reviewer,

The following Play review 635045a4-0689-4b3c-b84d-6260229f59fd has been hidden from global view because it was identified through automated internal mechanisms as a violation of our Play Ratings and reviews posting policies:

Since the last update Revolut does not support the security and privacy oriented Android OS called GrapheneOS. Please add GrapheneOS support using the appropriate hardware attestation API and whitelist GrapheneOS according to the guide: https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide#attestation-compatibility-guide Thank you

Specifically, Your review contains information that is not relevant to the content, service or experience that you’re reviewing. Reviews must not contain political or social commentary, nor should they include solicitations. . This is a permanent action taken globally across all Play surfaces; however, you may edit or apply for redress options as per the below instructions.

Ratings and reviews are meant to be helpful and trustworthy, and our policies are in place to help ensure a safe experience for all Play users. Remember, you can always modify and resubmit your review in line with our policies. And here are some general guidelines for writing a good review:

•Make your reviews useful and informative.
•Try to include both positives and drawbacks.
•Keep it readable: check grammar and spelling, and don't use excessive capitalisation and punctuation.
•Be nice to others.

If you’ve reviewed the policy and feel that our decision may have been in error, please submit an appeal here. You can also learn about additional redress options that may be available to you here. (Routing ID: YJWF)

Many thanks,
Google Play Reviews team

Could anyone help me figure out what to write to not get flagged or what to write in the appeal?

Thanks

    Anyways, I've contacted support again, and this time the answer was different:
    Aquatica:
    _I asked the other day about the recent update that prevented GrapheneOS users from using the Revolut app. I was assured that the issue will be fixed, but I see online that some support agents are still saying that GrapheneOS is not going to be supported.

    This OS is based on Android, it's no different from Samsung OneUI, Xiaomi or whatever other OS based on Android.
    The recent update prevents the app from running due to the recent Play Integrity API implementation, which requires the OS to be signed by Google. I was told the team was working on fixing it, but different support channels are saying different things. Can you share some details and if possible an ETA? Thanks._

    Revolut
    I understand your concern about the compatibility of the Revolut app with GrapheneOS and the Play Integrity API. We have already forwarded your feedback to the team, they will surely look into this matter for you.

    Aquatica
    _I understand, but I'm looking for a more in-depth answer.

    A lot of users have reported this to Revolut, and all of them have received different answers, even myself right now. First, I get told that they are working on it, now it's a forwarded feedback. What exacty is going on here?_

    Revolut
    I understand the confusion caused by receiving different responses. Our team is currently reviewing the details and I recommend keeping an eye on official Revolut communications, such as updates on the Revolut website or app store listings, for any announcements regarding app compatibility with different operating systems.

    Aquatica
    No ETAs, right?

    Revolut
    Unfortunately, I don't have any specific ETAs or updates regarding this issue at the moment.

    Aquatica
    _Honestly it's frustrating to get told that I should check social media to find out when I'll be able to use my app without issues.

    If I log out now, I won't be able to login anymore, this is bad._

    Revolut
    I understand your frustration, and I apologize for the inconvenience. Your feedback is valuable, and I'll ensure it's passed on to the relevant teams. Thank you for your patience.

    I also wrote a negative review after this (and rated the support experience the lowest score), but have yet to receive a reply.

    • nat likes this.

    The idea that a banking app can block a certain group of it users from access to most of its services is a serious issue.

    I am glad to see that the community is coming together to work against such a change. I hope that this issue will be overcome quickly and I that we can get as many people in contact with their support team as possible.

    skipit It was probably caught by an automated filter and flagged as an ad. You could try appealing the blockage like the email says. Another user's post was flagged but they appealed and it was allowed after a human reviewed it.

    In general, the sentence "does not support" might benefit from being replaced by something akin to "started blocking being used on Pixel devices that are running GrapheneOS". Strictly speaking Revolut has never "supported" GrapheneOS, which is what their support staff keep repeating, but it has never outright blocked it until now.

    Also, pretty sure that you can leave the beta temporarily, reopen Play Store, post a review that is then made public, then rejoin the beta.

      I have posted a 1-star review with my complaints as well. Let's keep pushing this and hopefully they will revert the decision.

      However I think this will just gain us some time. Imo the permanent solution would be developing cryptocurrencies to the point were they are actually usable for daily lives. This instance with Revolut just highlights how easy it is for banks to block your money if they don't agree with something you are doing. We need truly free money.

        1rainyday That's realistically never going to happen in first-world countries, at least not in our lifetimes, unless said first-world countries get poorer and poorer and poorer

        • nat likes this.

          1rainyday Imo the permanent solution would be developing cryptocurrencies to the point were they are actually usable for daily lives.

          That would be nice, but I won't see it happening ever.

          • Monero is hated by the governments because they hate financial privacy
          • Bitcoin is useless for actual payments due to the high fees, now it's just a "digital gold"
          • Others like Bitcoin Cash or Litecoin have lower fees than Bitcoin but still share similar problems like the transparent blockchain
          • Bitcoin Lightning is degenerating into a custodial system where you have an account at a bank rather than being your own bank (which is layer 1 bitcoin)
          • Ethereum, Solana etc. are not focused on payments but on smart contracts and memecoin scams
          • Nano tried to be the payment coin for the world, but never got popular enough
          • Some newer coins like Kaspa could be interesting - they say they have solved the PoW trilemma? But I don't see it used anywhere in real life

          So we need to fight for our right to use traditional banking on an operating system that doesn't spy on us! And without mandatory Google or Apple accounts!

              In the same boat as you...
              The answer I got from an human representative (not a *** chatbot):

              Thank you for the information. Revolut does not accept devices with custom firmware, such as GrapheneOS, which is likely why you're experiencing this issue. I recommend trying to access your Revolut account from a device with a standard Android operating system that is not running custom firmware. You can also try logging in using your email or phone number associated with your Revolut account on a compatible device.

                That's realistically never going to happen in first-world countries, at least not in our lifetimes, unless said first-world countries get poorer and poorer and poorer

                What would happen in your opinion if first world countries get poorer? More people switching to crypto to combat inflation?

                So we need to fight for our right to use traditional banking on an operating system that doesn't spy on us! And without mandatory Google or Apple accounts!

                To me that seems like a even harder battle wrt using crypto. The traditional banking system doesn't want you to have full control on your money. That is how they make money. I don't expect mass widespread adoption of crypto to happen anytime soon, but I still hope that more and more parallel circular economies based on crypto will spring up, so that the people who wants to can opt out.

                Btw, I just installed Revolut 10.58.2 and I am still able to access the app. Do you guys think it is possible that the restriction is applied only to new logins? I guess if they know that you have been using a custom firmware until now, it doesn't make any sense to block you?

                  1rainyday Do you guys think it is possible that the restriction is applied only to new logins?

                  They don't block users who are already logged in, as evidenced by the users in this thread, the community chat rooms, Twitter, Mastodon, etc. They block new logins and signups.

                  1rainyday I guess if they know that you have been using a custom firmware until now, it doesn't make any sense to block you?

                  We don't know the logic behind this. Maybe there is one, maybe there isn't. If Revolut were serious about protecting users against using an insecure OS, why wouldn't they block those users from accessing the app entirely? If they believe that you're using an insecure OS that could put your assets at risk, it makes rationally more sense to block that threat immediately, rather than waiting for you to sign out manually.

                        fid02 Because Play Integrity API is a service provided by Google which has a limited amount of requests, and you don't want to depend on Google's Servers for every single request your app makes. As far as we know though, there could be a periodic check which could log you out any moment.

                          I really don't understand the Revolut move.
                          Why ill do not simply adds a message at the login process to let know the user that the app is running in a "unsecure" OS and let the user to decide if continue using the app or not? At the end is the user money the one in risk!

                            Viewpoint0232 we need to fight for our right to use traditional banking on an operating system that doesn't spy on us!

                            Amen

                            1rainyday The traditional banking system doesn't want you to have full control on your money.

                            What's at stake in this thread is mostly about convenience vs surveillance, not control of money.

                            A person can control their Revolut money like normal on a stock Android or iOS device.
                            That control is not at risk (in the context of this thread, at least).

                            What's at stake in this thread is:
                            the convenience of having just 1x daily driver device that can handle all desired apps, with minimal surveillance.
                            vs
                            the inconvenience of using 2x phones to handle all desired apps, one GOS and one stock/iOS, with the extra surveillance that implies.

                            1rainyday Imo the permanent solution would be developing cryptocurrencies to the point were they are actually usable for daily lives.

                            1rainyday I still hope that more and more parallel circular economies based on crypto will spring up

                            This is off topic, but -
                            Obligatory link
                            https://www.web3isgoinggreat.com/

                                    A person can control their Revolut money like normal on a stock Android or iOS device.
                                    That control is not at risk (in the context of this thread, at least).

                                    I see your point, but at the same time this fact made me reflect on how easily a bank can block access to your funds if they really want to... I am looking at the problem at a more systemic level. But I agree it is indeed off-topic.

                                    https://www.web3isgoinggreat.com/

                                    Yeah there are a lot of scams in crypto, but that doesn't mean much. It is like saying GrapheneOS is insecure because there are a ton of crappy phones with terrible security around.

                                    cdflasdkesalkjfkdfkjsdajfd I really don't understand the Revolut move.
                                    Why ill do not simply adds a message at the login process to let know the user that the app is running in a "unsecure" OS and let the user to decide if continue using the app or not? At the end is the user money the one in risk!

                                    Just a guess - they are probably using some 3rd party solution that detects "insecure devices" and bails out. If this is true, it probably makes sense to find out which one they use and talk to developers of that solution, convincing them that GrapheneOS is secure, and not to Revolut.

                                        Has anyone tried installing Revolut from Huawei's App Gallery? Some banks may publish their apps there, and change them to work without Play Services. You may need to install Huawei Mobile Services too so that you can guarantee compatibility with what apps installed from there may expect. I had another bank app that worked this way, but I switched to Play Store's version once it worked again.

                                          somerandomdude Has anyone tried installing Revolut from Huawei's App Gallery?

                                          I just did, and can tell you that it pops up the exact same warning message about keeping my data ""secure"" as the version from Play Store. (I did make sure to uninstall any previously installed package first).

                                          • nat likes this.