[ANDROID] How to remove READ_PHONE_STATE

There are 3 possible solutions. Here we go:

1. Add <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="5" /> to your AndroidManifest and change the number with your Unity project's "Minimum API Level". If you don't have an AndroidManifest in your project, grab the default one from UNITY_INSTALLATION_PATH\Editor\Data\PlaybackEngines\AndroidPlayer\Apk (or somewhere around here) and copy it to the Assets\Plugins\Android folder of your project

2. Inside your Android SDK installation path, delete the "tools" folder completely and replace it with version 25.2.3, officially available here: https://dl.google.com/android/repository/tools_r25.2.3-windows.zip (click here for all download options)(this one did the trick for me)

3. If none works, add <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove" /> to your AndroidManifest and build your project using Gradle build system

Credit: https://forum.unity.com/threads/unity-2017-read_phone_state-permission-cant-remove.486732/

Did you solve it?

We are facing a similar problem with 2017.3.1, but we have the line:

In the output file

 #if UNITY_ANDROID
 using UnityEngine;
 using UnityEditor;
 using UnityEditor.Build;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Threading;
 
 class AndroidManifestFixBuildProcessor : MonoBehaviour, IPostprocessBuild
 {
     public int callbackOrder { get { return 1; } }
 
     static string dataPath = "";
     private static Thread _OnPostprocessBuildThread;
 
     public void OnPostprocessBuild(BuildTarget target, string path)
     {
         Debug.Log("OnPostprocessBuild");
         dataPath = Application.dataPath + "/../Temp";
         Application.logMessageReceived += buildLogCallback;
         if (_OnPostprocessBuildThread != null && _OnPostprocessBuildThread.IsAlive)
         {
             _OnPostprocessBuildThread.Interrupt();
             _OnPostprocessBuildThread.Abort();
             _OnPostprocessBuildThread = null;
         }
         _OnPostprocessBuildThread = new Thread(OnPostprocessBuildThread);
         _OnPostprocessBuildThread.Start();
         Debug.Log("Start OnPostprocessBuildThread");
 
     }
 
     private void OnPostprocessBuildThread()
     {
         while (true)
         {
             Debug.Log("Run AndroidManifestFixBuildProcessor");
             AndroidManifestFixBuildProcessor.AndroidManifest(dataPath);
             Thread.Sleep(200);
         }
     }
 
     public static void buildLogCallback(string condition, string stackTrace, LogType type)
     {
         AndroidManifestFixBuildProcessor.AndroidManifest(dataPath);
         if (condition.Contains("Build completed"))
         {
             if (_OnPostprocessBuildThread != null && _OnPostprocessBuildThread.IsAlive)
             {
                 _OnPostprocessBuildThread.Interrupt();
                 _OnPostprocessBuildThread.Abort();
                 _OnPostprocessBuildThread = null;
             }
             Debug.Log("Stop OnPostprocessBuildThread");
             Application.logMessageReceived -= buildLogCallback;
         };
        
     }
     //  
 
     public static void AndroidManifestFinished(object sender, FinishedArgs args)
     {
         if (args.LinesRemoved > 0)
         {
             Debug.Log("<color=#FF8000>File:" + args.Filename + " LinesRemoved:" + args.LinesRemoved + " TotalLines:" + args.TotalLines + " </color>");
         }
     }
 
     public static void AndroidManifest(string buildDir)
     {
         List<string> removedParams = new List<string>();
 
         removedParams.Add("android.permission.BLUETOOTH");
         removedParams.Add("android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_MULTICAST_STATE");
         removedParams.Add("android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE");
 
         TextLineRemover.OnFinished += AndroidManifestFinished;
      //   Debug.Log(buildDir);
 
         string[] files =  Directory.GetFiles(buildDir, "*.xml", SearchOption.AllDirectories);
         foreach (string file in files)
         {
             string patchfile = Path.GetFullPath(file);
             string TempPath = Path.GetTempPath();
             string patchfileTMP = TempPath + Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file) + System.DateTime.Now.ToString() + ".tmp";
             TextLineRemover.RemoveTextLines(removedParams, patchfile, patchfileTMP);           
         }
         TextLineRemover.OnFinished -= AndroidManifestFinished;
     }
 }
 /*
 public class FixAndroidManifest
 {
     [MenuItem("Tools/FixAndroidManifest")]
     static void FixAndroidManifestRun()
     {
         AndroidManifestFixBuildProcessor.AndroidManifest(Application.dataPath + "/../Temp");
     }
 }
 */
 
 public static class TextLineRemover
 {
     public static void RemoveTextLines(IList<string> linesToRemove, string filename, string tempFilename)
     {
         // Initial values
         int lineNumber = 0;
         int linesRemoved = 0;
         System.DateTime startTime = System.DateTime.Now;
 
         // Read file
         using (var sr = new StreamReader(filename))
         {
             // Write new file
             using (var sw = new StreamWriter(tempFilename))
             {
                 // Read lines
                 string line;
                 while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
                 {
                     lineNumber++;
                     // Look for text to remove
                     if (!ContainsString(line, linesToRemove))
                     {
                         // Keep lines that does not match
                         sw.WriteLine(line);
                     }
                     else
                     {
                         // Ignore lines that DO match
                         linesRemoved++;
                         InvokeOnRemovedLine(new RemovedLineArgs { RemovedLine = line, RemovedLineNumber = lineNumber });
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
         // Delete original file
         File.Delete(filename);
 
         // ... and put the temp file in its place.
         File.Move(tempFilename, filename);
 
         // Final calculations
         System.DateTime endTime = System.DateTime.Now;
         InvokeOnFinished(new FinishedArgs { LinesRemoved = linesRemoved, TotalLines = lineNumber, TotalTime = endTime.Subtract(startTime), Filename = filename });
     }
 
     private static bool ContainsString(string line, IEnumerable<string> linesToRemove)
     {
         foreach (var lineToRemove in linesToRemove)
         {
             if (line.Contains(lineToRemove))
                 return true;
         }
         return false;
     }
 
     public static event RemovedLine OnRemovedLine;
     public static event Finished OnFinished;
 
     public static void InvokeOnFinished(FinishedArgs args)
     {
         Finished handler = OnFinished;
         if (handler != null) handler(null, args);
     }
 
     public static void InvokeOnRemovedLine(RemovedLineArgs args)
     {
         RemovedLine handler = OnRemovedLine;
         if (handler != null) handler(null, args);
     }
 }
 
 public delegate void Finished(object sender, FinishedArgs args);
 
 public class FinishedArgs
 {
     public int TotalLines { get; set; }
     public int LinesRemoved { get; set; }
     public System.TimeSpan TotalTime { get; set; }
     public string Filename { get; set; }
 }
 
 public delegate void RemovedLine(object sender, RemovedLineArgs args);
 
 public class RemovedLineArgs
 {
     public string RemovedLine { get; set; }
     public int RemovedLineNumber { get; set; }
 }
 
 
 #endif //UNITY_ANDROID