Seeing “Google hasn’t verified this app” on a YouTube gate? Here’s why

If you’ve turned on Check that fans really did it for a YouTube subscribe step, your fans currently see a Google screen that says “Google hasn’t verified this app” when they press Verify. That’s on us, it’s temporary, and the fix is already with Google.

Why the warning appears

To confirm a fan really subscribed, TradeFile asks Google for read-only access to the fan’s YouTube account, then asks YouTube one question: is this person subscribed to this artist’s channel? Google treats any read access to YouTube accounts as sensitive, so every app that asks for it shows this warning until Google has reviewed the app’s privacy policy, how it uses the data, and a recorded demo of the sign-in.

TradeFile’s brand and domain are already verified with Google. On October 13 we submitted the YouTube permission for the same review, with an updated privacy policy and the demo video. Google says these reviews usually take a few days to a few weeks. The warning disappears for every gate as soon as it’s approved, with nothing for you to change.

Is it safe for fans to continue?

Yes. Here’s exactly what happens when a fan verifies:

• We see only whether they’re subscribed to your channel. Not their other subscriptions, their history, their videos or their profile.
• We can’t post, subscribe, comment or change anything on their account. The access is read-only.
• The access is used once and thrown away. Nothing from their Google account is stored.
• They can remove TradeFile’s access any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions.

To get past the screen, a fan clicks Advanced, then Go to tradefile.net.

What you can do in the meantime

You don’t have to do anything, but you have two options:

1. 01Leave verification on. Most fans who want the track will click through. If you share the gate, a short line like “Google shows a warning while TradeFile’s review finishes, it’s safe to continue” helps.
2. 02Turn verification off for now. Untick Check that fans really did it on the YouTube step and fans just tap through and confirm the subscribe themselves, the way it works on most gate tools. Tick it again once the review is approved.

If you notice a drop in unlocks on a gate with a verified YouTube step, option 2 is the safe choice until the review is done.

What happens next

When Google approves the review we’ll post it in the changelog. Fans will see a normal Google sign-in screen with TradeFile’s name and the read-only YouTube permission, and nothing else changes.

Questions? Email [email protected].