Google prohibits apps that mimic another developer's icon, name, or branding closely enough to confuse users about who published it — including impersonating a real company you're not affiliated with.
Frequently triggered by icons or names that closely resemble a popular app or well-known brand, even without any explicit claim of affiliation.
"Your app's icon, title, or description gives the impression that it is affiliated with, or created by, a company or individual that it is not."
The impersonation policy bars apps from copying another developer's icon, name or branding closely enough to confuse users about who published them, and from posing as a company or person without authorisation. An icon or name that resembles a popular app or well-known brand can be enough, even if the app never claims an official link.
People rely on names and icons to identify what they install, and look-alikes can lead them to share sensitive information or pay for something they did not intend. Impersonation also harms the original developer, who may lose users or reputation. By protecting the link between a brand and its publisher, the policy helps people trust what they see in the store.
They overlap, but impersonation is about confusing users about who published an app.
Accurate compatibility statements can be acceptable, but not in ways that imply endorsement.
Rights holders, other developers and users.
Platform rules change often. This page is a plain-language explanation written by AppReviewFix, not official guidance. Check the current Google Play Developer Policy Center for the exact wording.