A token serves a vital role similar to that of a password. When users download our app from the Google Play Store, this token is granted permission to establish a secure connection with our servers and enables them to create images. This crucial security measure is put in place to safeguard against hacked versions of our app, which could otherwise generate images at a significant cost to us. By utilizing this token-based system, we can ensure the integrity of our app and protect our resources.
To further enhance app security and guarantee that users are accessing the genuine, unmodified version, we offer several verification methods for those who didn't download from the "Official" Google Play Store or side loaded the app.
Verification methods
Opting to watch a reward ad:
By watching a reward ad, users can verify the authenticity of their app installation, thus gaining access to its full features.
Subscribing to a premium plan:
Users also have the option to purchase a subscription, which not only unlocks premium content but also acts as a reliable validation method to ensure the app's legitimacy.
Downloading from the "Official" Google Play Store:
For the highest level of assurance, we recommend users download the app directly from the official Google Play Store. This guarantees that they are getting the genuine, unaltered version of our app.
By implementing these additional verification methods alongside the token-based permission system, we strive to provide a secure and trustworthy app experience for all our users, protecting both our interests and their data.
MonAI does not work on Android emulators such as BlueStacks, Memu, NoxPlayer, or LDPlayer. Emulators do not have a proper connection to Google Play Services, so the token cannot be validated. The verification methods above (reward ads, subscribing) also do not work on emulators.
For more details, see Android Emulators.
Custom Android builds — including privacy-focused systems like GrapheneOS with sandboxed Google Play — cannot fully pass Google's Play Integrity checks, which our token system relies on. Symptoms: the app connects normally but struggles to get a valid token, and image generation stalls indefinitely (for example, stuck at "Picking up the brush…"). Tokens may occasionally come through after repeated attempts, but this is unreliable and may stop working entirely as Google tightens enforcement.
We are unable to support custom ROMs. The app works normally on any Play-certified Android device.
Can I get a valid token when using a VPN?
Maybe. Many VPNs will cause issues, some will not. There are many VPN providers and all are different. We can not give support or guidance for this use case.
Will using ad blockers cause an invalid token?
Maybe. We have seen cases where the ad blockers not only block ads but also block sending verification data to the server. They will certainly prevent you from watching a rewarded ad thus limiting your options for verification. While we do not directly stop users from using ad blockers we would prefer that you do not due to the high cost of rendering images.