Develop Reference

Is it possible to upgrade a device owner app through Google Play?

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.

Google Play not automatically updated

I prepared my own I published in android apps on Google Play. Downloading app. However, I publish every new device is installed after the application version is not automatically updated. I tried on all devices. I activated the automatic update option from the Google Play app.
Unfortunately, I get the same results. Is there that might help?

Solution.
Add validation code inside your own app to check application version and open Google Play if newer is released. You can store version somewhere in your own server.
Automatic application updates are not popular in Android devices. Sad but true.
Do not forget whether your enabled this option in your device https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/113412?hl=en

Programatically getting the version code of the app that is in play store

My android app is published in google play store.
I want to do,
User get notified when there is new version of app.
User must get notified when they are using an older version of app.
The problem I face is,
If the user turns off automatic check for update option in google play store, they no longer get notified by the default option.
If my user using the older version of my app, it will create problem for me in data management.(conflict problem etc.,)
So what i want is, the user opens my app, checks for the current version code of the app and compare with version code of the app that is in google play store.
I find it difficult to get the version code of the app that is in play store.
I tried following links to get the version code of the app on google play store but of not help.
SO question
https://code.google.com/p/android-market-api/
[How to allow users to check for the latest app version from inside the app?
please help..
How can i programmatically get the version code of the app that is on play store.
Or is there any way that by which I can manually trigger the default built-in event as handled by google play services?

why don't you save your latest version in a google document on google drive and from your application read that value?
Here is the api

Actually, solution that based on Google page html is not stable and need to be changed whenever Google update their layout. In addition, the version number from Google page is truly versionName but not versionCode.
For example: Regard to build.gradle file, versionCode is 5 and versionName is 5.1. For this case, Google store page will show us Current version is 5.1 but not 5.

Android app deployment on over 100 devices

We have a fleet tracking Android app which is isntalled on around 100 mobiles.
Problem is to update each mobile whenever there is a patch release. And unfotunately we have not set auto-update.
Now we need to call each driver and follow the process of update from google play.
This is becoming very tedious as they have to go to google play, search the application and install/update it.
And the mobiles are located all over the country.
Before it was easy as Goolge play was giving an option to know the apps installed on each mobile.
Need your advice on how do we manage/automate this update issue.

Build an in-app push notification that there's a new version and have an easy link to Google Play from it. However, this does have a bootstrapping problem, and you will have to make everyone install the new version manually (as in you call them and ask them to do it) at least once. Still, this is your only viable option, as Google Play developer agreement prohibits pushing app updates through other channels.
If you have email or IM contact with the drivers, you can also send them a message there's a new version with the direct link to the Google Play. They will have to open it on their device, of course.
The link format should be market://details?id=com.mycompany.myapp, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mycompany.myapp, or http://market.android.com/details?id=id=com.mycompany.myapp. Either of these three in general should work, though some OEMs have messed up their devices configuration and prevent Google Play app from intercepting the http/https form properly.

You could check a text file located on a server or something like that and then lookup if the current instaleld version is the same as the server version. If not you could download the new apk and open it. As far as I know this is not allowed by Google Play so you must remove the app from google play

Update default app automaticall from market

I have a lower version App installed in device using adb install command. I have a higher version of App in Android Market. I would make update the app in device automatically from Android Market. I saw the similar post below:
Prompt Android App User to Update App if current version <> market version
Is there a way to automatically update application on Android?
but Neither of those posts answer this question.
They mush have some solution. just like Goole Maps and Gmail does. I don't know how Google Maps does it?
someone suggest uses
http://code.google.com/p/android-market-api/
But it failed for me on code below: (android 3.2)
session.login("mymail#gmail.com",password);
Thank you in advance.

this is not really possible since your app wasn't first installed from the Android Market, so the market doesn't know about this "purchase", doesn't track updates so it won't prompt the user to update, or auto-update the app.
The only way to do it is to install the app from the market, keeping the "auto-update" checkbox on.