Play Store Rejection due to READ_MEDIA_IMAGES in Intercom React Native SDK | Community
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Hello Intercom Team,

We are using @intercom/intercom-react-native for in-app support, which is a core feature of our app. Users often need to attach screenshots when contacting support.

According to the official documentation, the SDK requires storage permission. On Android 13+, this maps to READ_MEDIA_IMAGES.

However, Google Play has rejected our app, even after appeal, because this permission is considered sensitive. They are asking us to justify its usage, and one-time photo pickers are not accepted since the Intercom SDK manages its own gallery internally.

This is now blocking our app release.

  • We saw intercom-android PR #587 regarding Android 13 media permissions.

  • Can you please confirm if this is the only way for the SDK to work, or if you plan to move towards the system photo picker (which Play Store prefers)?

  • Is there an official statement from Intercom that we can submit to Google to justify this permission?

This is a critical blocker — without this permission, our users cannot share screenshots and our support feature breaks, but with it, Google rejects our app.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Hey ​@Dhivya 👋 Jacques here from Intercom Support. I hope all is well today!

Thanks for reaching out and sharing the details of your situation. Here are my thoughts:

The latest versions of the Intercom Android SDK (v14.1.0 and above) and the React Native wrapper no longer require sensitive media permissions like READ_MEDIA_IMAGES or READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE. The SDK now uses the Android system photo picker and scoped storage APIs, which do not require requesting these permissions from users.

This change fully aligns with Google Play’s requirements. If your app is still being rejected, please ensure you are using the latest versions of both the Intercom Android SDK and the React Native wrapper, and remove any legacy storage permissions from your AndroidManifest.xml and app code.

There is no longer a need to justify the use of sensitive media permissions, as the SDK does not require them. The updated documentation and changelogs serve as the official statement of compliance and can be referenced in your Play Store submission.

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