Google reCAPTCHA requires Play Services on Android
Updated
Updated · Android Authority · May 7
Google reCAPTCHA requires Play Services on Android
13 articles · Updated · Android Authority · May 7
QR-code verification now needs Google Play Services 25.41.30 or later, meaning de-Googled phones such as GrapheneOS devices fail if checks escalate.
The requirement applies when Google detects suspicious activity, replacing older image puzzles with a smartphone QR scan intended to block autonomous bots.
The change appears to have been introduced in groundwork laid since October last year and may create wider web-browsing friction if the system is broadly adopted.
Is Google's anti-bot war a cover for turning the open Android ecosystem into a tightly controlled walled garden?
As Google makes websites liable for data collection, are they being forced to abandon privacy-conscious visitors?