### Nextcloud Resolves Play Store Issue After Public Outcry

Nextcloud, the self-hosted cloud platform, has encountered persistent difficulties with Google Play Store regarding file uploads from Android devices to users' personal servers. For months, Nextcloud had informed its users about the inability to upload files due to restricted permissions on the Google Play Store, despite numerous email exchanges and detailed explanations sent to Google’s representatives.

Recently, a blog post from Nextcloud, along with media attention, appears to have influenced Google's stance. Nextcloud announced on May 15 that Google has agreed to reinstate full file access permissions for their app. The Nextcloud team is preparing a test release, aiming to issue a final update with restored functionalities early next week, pending successful trials.

Nextcloud has historically enjoyed read and write privileges for all file types since it launched its Android app. However, a sudden and unanticipated refusal from Google in September 2024 demanded the app shift to "a more privacy-aware replacement," according to Nextcloud. Despite providing ample context and reasoning, the responses from Google persisted as automated messages or generic links to documentation.

The Nextcloud team's frustrations echo those experienced by iA Writer, another app that faced similar roadblocks with Google regarding file sync access. The founder of Information Architects (makers of iA Writer), Oliver Reichenstein, pointed out that Google did not request a security review for Nextcloud, simply shutting them out, which he argues is harder to justify under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). This act restricts companies like Google, Apple, and Meta from engaging in anti-competitive practices.

As a temporary solution, Nextcloud limited uploads to only media files. Users could bypass this restriction by downloading the app from F-Droid and manually granting the necessary permissions. Nextcloud reported having more than 800,000 Android users at the time.

In its blog post, Nextcloud accused "Big Tech" of gatekeeping smaller software vendors and deliberately impairing competitors’ products to maintain market dominance. This is evidenced by their stance against Microsoft's integrated apps and services, leading them to file an antitrust complaint in 2021.

Nextcloud’s resolution with Google marks a significant step, but it also underscores ongoing challenges faced by smaller tech companies in a landscape dominated by a few major players.