Gmail iOS app has outdated warning after 2 months without updates because Google slows down privacy labels [Updated]

While Google has promised to update its suite of apps with app privacy labels to comply with the App Store rules Apple began enforcing in December, many of its major apps haven’t had an update for months and still don’t list privacy. information.

It’s been so long since Google last updated the Gmail app that Gmail now displays a warning that the latest security features are not available. As discovered by Techmeme editor Spencer Dailey, when you log in to a new account in the Gmail app for iOS, it warns you to update and suggests that you only continue logging in “if you understand the risks”.

Unfortunately, no update is available for the Gmail app. Version 6.0.201115 of the Gmail app is the only version of Gmail available on the iPhone and iPad and has not been updated since December 1.

Google claimed on January 5 that it would add privacy data to its app catalog “this week or next week,” but by January 20 most apps had still not been updated with the App Privacy labels.

Google has since been quietly adding labels to apps like YouTube, but major apps like Gmail, Google Search, Google Photos, Google Maps, and others still don’t have privacy details. Even in apps that have won with labels, there have been no feature or security updates for the most part.

It remains unclear why Google is taking so long to add app privacy labels to its iOS apps, and there’s no word yet when Gmail will get an update. Google has regularly updated its Android apps and the last update for the Android Gmail app was released on February 9th.

It has been speculated that Google is reluctant to provide the privacy label data due to the negative feedback received by other companies such as Facebook, but there is still no confirmed statement.

App privacy labels have been required since iOS 14.3 and are designed to provide customers with details about what data an app collects from them so that they can make an informed choice when choosing to install an app. App developers are required to self-report privacy information in the ‌‌App Store‌‌, and developers must identify all data collection and use cases.

Updating: Google has pushed a server-side update that removes the outdated warning when trying to sign in to a new account in the Gmail app.