Develop Reference

I published an Android app on the play store. How do I push changes to users without requiring them to re-download

Several users have downloaded my app from Google Play. I now want to provide new features to them. How do I auto-update the app for them without requiring them to re-download the app?

If they have the setting for downloading updates automatically set, just upload a new version of the app with a higher version number in the manifest. The Play Store and Android will do the rest. Of course if they turned off that setting they'll need to do it manually, but that was their decision when they changed the setting.

I now want to provide new features to them.
If you have added new features to your actual app in code, then the single option that you have, so that all users can see the updates is to re-download the app.
If you however want to force the users to get the latest version of your app, please check my answer from the following post:
Force users to have last app version in Android

How to update apps in Android things?

I'm new in Android Things and was trying to do OTA updates. In Android things console whenever I pushed a new OTA, along with the new app version, it refreshed the image as well. However, I want my image to be the same as earlier and just app to get replaced over the air. Is it possible?.
I have been thinking to use play store to update my app in android things. Can it be done?
Thank you in Advance.

In Android Things, all apps on the system are bundled in an updated OTA image and updated in that way. There's no mechanism for updating individual applications like on Google Play.

Is it possible that the APK installed from outside Google Play can be updated without any popup?

My customer wants to develop a application which can be updated without any interaction from users.
This application will be installed from outside Google Play. Of course, unknown source in Android setting menu will be set when it is installed.
I think it will be updated automatically without user interaction if it is installed from Google Play. But, it is installed from outside Google Play, automatic update might not be allowed because of security issues.
But, my customer wants to find the solution of this issue.
Is it possible? If not, how can I find the basis that it is impossible such as any official or authoritative document?
In addition, if my customer receives any support from the manufacturer of the Android device which the application is installed, is the automatic update possible?

how to make the last version of my app is the only working version in android

I have uploaded my app on google play store. I need when I do an update in my app the old versions of the app doesn't work on user devices until they updated the app. For example when I make an update when the users that have old versions of the app opens it a dialog opens to them asking them to update the app to be able to use it , How can I do that?

You can't go and change old versions retrospectively - the code is already out there on devices.
If you want this feature in new versions of your app however, I would recommend using something like Firebase Remote Config. That will let you control the minimum version of your app on a server, so you could give the users a week to update, then change the config on the server, and the app will know to ask the user to update.

How to add update function into phonegap app

Does phonegap allow us to update the app we created if I want to add or change something later on?
For example, I created an app and installed on my Android cellphone. Now I want to change some content of this app. Is that possible to achieve that without installing the full .apk file again?
A similar question here: How to update app with phonegap
However,the answer "update them in your project then submit a new apk to Google Play" still makes me confused -- submitting a new apk to google then my installed app would know there is a new version? and would update??

It's impossible. You cannot update the app in user cellphone unless your app force user to update the app. IBM Worklight can do force update.

One way would be to put you html files on live server and change it from there. Suppose your files are in www.example.com site. Like www.example.com/main.html You can refer to this link from your phonegap app. And you can control it as you wish without forcing any installation.
But it comes with a price. Your app user have to be connected to internet for full time.