I would like to publish some update of my app on the Play Store, however since I will just change the default setting given at the beginning when a user install the app for the first time, I would like that these updates are not seen by current users (that would have to update the app for nothing). Is there a way to do it?
Thanks in advance.
No, there is no way to do that.
In future consider using some service which will provide a configuration for your app remotely (such as Firebase).
Related
Introduction
I've deployed the first version of my app to the Play Store and now I'm going to change the version code and publish the next version. So, in general case, the Google Play will notify users about the update. But I want my app itself to check for the updates and take user to the Play Store.
Studies till now
I have read about the workaround , here , where the app checks for the latest version with your server but I don't want that.
Requirement
I just want my app itself to directly compare its version with version available on the Play Store, and if it is different, then prompt user to update the app. On confirmation, it will take the user to the Play Store.
Is there any way to achieve this?
Is there any way to achieve this?
Probably, but I would not try to implement this if I were you and here is why.
Users configure update settings themselves through google play app settings.
If they want app updates right way they can say so. If they want to confirm first they can say so. If they don't want to be notified of updates at all, they can say so.
In most cases users are already notified of an update of your app through google play notifications. There is no need to add a 2nd notification. Even worse - users that don't want to be notified of updates will be annoyed when you notify them yourself. You want to avoid that.
You will need a service call to
https://androidquery.appspot.com/api/market?app=YourPackageNameOnPlaystore
for example:
https://androidquery.appspot.com/api/market?app=com.google.android.youtube
the respnse which will be returned by playstore will contain version information which is present on playstore.
compare it with local app version and take further steps
Hope this helps!
Good luck!
Short answer: No. There is no such official API yet. But you can go for an unofficial one.
But still as you have mentioned you can go for your own API implementation and prompt the user to update the app. But take into consideration that users have their own preferences about updating the app and they may find such prompts annoying. #Tim Castelijns's answer explains it in detail.
I have an idea about updating App without through AppStore:
After publishing, the app has two main functions, loader function and app content function. If I want to fix some little bug, which is only one line code sometimes, or just need to change the background of APP UI, even some logic codes. In tradition solution that is updated the APP to APP store and notify the user to update it.
Is it possible, using the loader function to download changed app content from server?
Does Apple and Android allow to do it?
Thanks a lot.
You can't do that in iOS app. You should submit your next version app to access the new features. If you try to download codes or any other runtime content. Your App should be rejected.
Please refer the apple-review guideline here.
Thanks!
According to the google play Developer-Content-Policy:
An app downloaded from Google Play may not modify, replace or update its own APK binary code using any method other than Google Play's update mechanism.
No, you can not do it. If you want to make any change in the application, you will have to pass through store formalities to distribute the application to end client.
For iOS, you can go with enterprise distribution option, but using that you cant distribute the application outside your Organisation.
For customisable background or UI customisable, you can take help of server to receive configuration from server.
I have an application on appstore and also in google play.
I want the current users to be able to update the application, but want to prevent further downloads to it.
Can this be achieved?
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks for advance.
No that is not possible (on the AppStore) and I don't think it's on Google Play either.
If you want to freeze a version of your app and make a new "branch". A solution could be to create a new App with a new Bundle ID. Then the old app can still live in the App Store.
I don't know what you want to achieve from this and if Apple will approve it, but if you want to do this, Apple surely wants to see additional features or changes in the new version in order for it to be approved and not just an exact copy with a new Bundle ID.
Hope this helps.
Remove the app from sale in all countries where the app was never previously downloaded.
Set the price to $799, and say "Don't buy me! No refunds!" in the app store descriptions. Remove anything in the description that might tempt somebody to buy it. Remove all keywords (in the next update, if needed) to make it hard to find. Rename the app in the app store to something obscure if possible (but leave the name under the icon the same). None of the above should affect the ability of current users to download a new update if you get one approved and in the store.
As far as I know this is normally not possible using the Play Store.
Here are some very dirty solutions for Android (I would prefer method 1):
1. Using Google Play: Let all current users enter a private Google group (Or Google+ group) and publish your app only as Alpha or Beta. This way only users in the private group can update or download your app. New users won't see the app in the Play Store and won't be able to download it.
2. Using Shared Preferences: Let all users update the app and set a boolean in a Shared Preferences file. Then publish the new app which should not be downloadable by new users, and check if the boolean is set. If the boolean is not set close or kill the app and notify the user.
I have created an Android application, published an initial version on Google Play Store and installed the APK on a test device.
How can i update new version without prompting?
I have seen sometimes Play store send notification for update
available and user can update after click on that notification but
some application is updating automatically.
hows it possible.?
I want that user get update automatically.
Your help would be highly appreciated.
No, it's not possible (unless the user clicked on the checkbox update automatically).
The only thing you could do is build yourself a shell of an application that would update itself from the internet when it gets run (but that would be quite an undertaking on your part and probably not worth your time).
No. Google Play cannot update applications automatically without user permission.
On Android I think that you can 'unpublish' an application so that no new users can download the application but that the user who already have the application will recieve new versions that are uploaded to google play (or so it seems to say here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/113476?hl=en&ref_topic=3450986 )
However I can't find any information on iOS. Can I remove the app but still update existing customers with a new version?
Just for context the update I want to issue for both OS is basically an app which displays a 'app is now closed' message.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Can I remove the app but still update existing customers with a new version?
As far as I am concerned, you can't do this in the App Store.
No, this isn't possible. Once you remove the app, nobody will see it in the app store. Existing users of the app won't see any updates that you may have published before removing it that they never installed. It's just gone if you remove it from the app store.
You could publish an app update that includes some kind of notification system within the app, and keep that in the store long enough for most users to upgrade. Then after you pull the app from the store, you could update this message (presumably it would retrieve this message from your server) to state that the app is no longer available, and maybe direct them to whatever you have that you're replacing it with (assuming you're replacing it). Otherwise, I don't see why you necessarily need to inform existing users that you've removed the app. If there are server-side components that it accesses, and you're shutting those down, I guess the app will simply cease to function for existing users.
I also don't think there is a way to offer updates without new customers being able to buy the app.
Why not increase the price of the app to the highest price allowed in the app store, so that no one will buy it? That way you can offer an update for your existing customers, but effectively stop new sales. If the new price is $1999.00 US, I doubt if you will get any takers...