My company (where I work) created an application for a company. I worked alone on this app and nobody else is into mobile developing + I am new in application developing. I use the firebase app distribution function to share the APK with the testers.
The problem that the testers are bored that they always get an email when there is a new version and have to install the new version through that.
Is it possbile to achieve some kind of in-app-update without using google/apple store? This app is for a company, that is not an option to put it on google/apple store.
The packages I found are using the store...
https://pub.dev/packages/new_version
https://pub.dev/packages/in_app_update
Sorry for the newbie question, thanks you in advance.
I'd suggest the following steps:
Enable Firebase Storage
Name your apks by version code
When you run your app, search the Firebase Storage for the max version code file
Compare running app's version with max
Download
Launch installer
Note: This is not in-app-update, but rather an automated process for downloading updates to a device. And launching installs may be restricted on Android 11 and higher, so look into that if necessary.
Related
I'm developing an app for android in flutter. Only some people will use it so I do not want to upload it to PlayStore. The problem is, I can make it an apk and install it to devices but I can not update it. Is there a way or a program like TestFlight that I can also update the app for every devices using it?
Without uploading it is not possible, but you have the option to upload it and don't make it publicly available.
The Google Play Store equivalent of Apple's TestFlight is creating an application in the Google Play Console and set up a release that is available for testing and not available for production (live presence in the Store).
This way you app will not be publicly available and you have to add the testers manually, just as it is with TestFlight. New versions will be delivered to the user's who installed the test application. One limitation is that the users need a Google Account to participate in the resting.
You can read about the details here.
We use firebase to distribute test builds internally, check this: https://firebase.google.com/docs/app-distribution
I am currently building a flutter app that involves checking if the user has the latest version of the app and prompting them to upgrade if not. On the Android part that's not a problem to test as I can install the apk after downloading it from our servers, my question is regarding the iOS part. I do realize then when the app is released I will use the app store, but I am wondering how will I test this feature before release. When I have my app on TestFlight, is there a way to upgrade this app programmatically from inside my code? Will there be a link to TestFlight app like there is to the app store app so when I can use url_launcher to open it (for testing).
To open the TestFlight page for your app, use this URL:
itms-beta://beta.itunes.apple.com/v1/app/XXX
Replace XXX with your app's ID in the App Store (find it in App Store Connect in the App Information section).
I have already two published applications Android/IOS and I'm looking to create a flutter as a cross-platform to reduce the time of developing the same modules in the two applications.
There is an easy way to not create the flutter from scratch as the applications are working fine for me.
Can I use the same application ID(Android) and the bundle ID (IOS) as I will need to update it and not lose the downloads and application history from the apple store and the google store?
yes, you can do it, make sure you used same package name and key other wise playstore showing error.
I also had an Android App. I created a new app with Flutter using the same ID (package name). At the end I signed it with the same key and I uploaded the App on the Playstore without any problem. Everything is still there. The history and statistics.
I think you have to build your apps from scratch, but about your downloads nu
In your flutter application, navigate to android project's app level build and update the flutter app Application ID with your existing application id. (My be you already know it).
When you will generate the flutter app (android/ios) with the existing keys. Lets say your existing app on google play console is built with xyz.jks. Built your flutter android project with same key and publish on google play store.
I've created a device owner app, which I install through a QR code when I factory reset my devices. Everything's fine until here.
Now I have a new version of the same device owner app, and I want to update the devices which have the previous version to this new version.
Is it possible to achieve this using Google Play?
I don't want to use custom methods like uploading the APK somewhere and downloading it with some Java code, because I want to centralize the releases in Google Play.
So far I have uploaded the new version (version code is 5, old one is 2) of the app to Google Play and tried to upgrade from there, but it does not work: in Google Play I just see the app as installed, and the "Disable" and "Open" button, but not the button to upgrade it.
Any thoughts? I've found some posts like the ones below, but they're 5 years old, maybe something has changed and this is not longer possible.
Install updates for a Device-Owner App
Install a GooglePlay located App from NFC
I haven't been able to find any specific information on updates with device owner apps. The documentation is extensive about how to create and install a device owner app, but not on how to upgrade it.
Thanks a lot in advance!
You didn't install it from play store , I THINK you can't update Device-Owner apps which were not installed from play store , except for the way you mentioned.
I have a question concerning Android app development. I'm about to develop an app that I want to give to test users. Testing the app on my own phone means plugging it in my laptop and updating it manually. Do you know any solution that provides automatic updating for in-progress-apps without plugging each phone in on each update?
Maybe there is a google play store function I don't know about yet that lets you "hide" you app before publication and you can share the link with designated people?
Thank you a lot!
The Play Store offers alpha and beta testing, which allows you to upload and distribute test builds via the Play Store.
If you use this feature, you control which version of your application testers will receive on their devices, and they will automatically get updates.
You do not need your application to be publicly available to use this feature.