App Ban / Device Fingerprinting Mystery – Need Some Insight

General Discussion
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App Ban / Device Fingerprinting Mystery – Need Some Insight

Hey everyone,

I’ve been dealing with a weird issue for years, and I think this forum might be the only place where people actually understand the tech behind it.

The backstory (short version):

Back in 2018, while I was studying abroad, I relied heavily on apps like Slowly and Tandem to talk to people.

I made the rookie mistake of creating multiple accounts (not maliciously, just experimenting with writing styles and separating topics).

I misread someone’s post about “logging into multiple accounts” and thought it also applied to creating them. Big mistake.

As soon as I realized something was off, I deleted the extras and stuck with one account, but I got flagged and banned.

Since then, no matter what I do, I can’t create a new account without getting auto-removed for “multiple accounts.”

Here’s what’s strange:

It’s been 7+ years since that initial issue, but even on new devices, with fresh installs, I get flagged almost immediately.

I’ve tried clean factory resets, new IP addresses, new SIMs, even new phones.

I once tried on a brand-new phone (no root, no apps, fresh Wi-Fi) and still got flagged “out of the box.”

It almost feels like the Play Store or Google Services is carrying over some kind of fingerprint.

My current setup:

Daily driver: Galaxy S24 Ultra, rooted (Magisk), mostly stock ROM.

Secondary device: Galaxy S9+ running IodéOS (Lineage-based, de-Googled) with MicroG.

I use a privacy browser, trackers disabled, and MicroG for login spoofing.

IodéOS hides location well and lets me sign up for other services, but I can’t restore subscriptions because it doesn’t have official Google Play billing.

The problem:
I’m convinced that something beyond the usual IP/MAC/device ID is being logged, maybe some persistent account marker or fingerprint from Google Play Services. Even when I avoid logging into old accounts, something still links me.

My questions to you all:

  1. How do these apps actually fingerprint users so aggressively?

  2. Could Google Play Store or some hidden device ID be the main culprit?

  3. Is there a way to “start clean” on a rooted device without being detected? (I know about randomized device IDs and Magisk hide, but I feel like I’m missing something deeper.)

  4. Has anyone here successfully “reset” their Play Store + GSF ID and gotten past similar bans?

  5. Should I consider setting up a completely isolated sandbox ROM just for these apps?

Support from these apps is useless — 99% sure they’re bots, and they just keep repeating “multiple accounts” without explaining how they’re detecting me. I don’t even care about these apps much anymore, but it’s become a puzzle I want to solve.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s dealt with similar account bans/fingerprinting issues.

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I am not familiar with the apps you are referring to, but what identifier is used for the account creation? Is it something like email account or phone number that would obviously be linked to your old accounts?