In-App Update API showing UPDATE_NOT_AVAILABLE while testing on debugging device

Question

I am trying to integrate the new In-App Update API but I cannot able to test it's implementation. Seems like my code is fine therefore I read the Troubleshoots and am not able to understand 2 points in this document

Make sure that the app that you are testing is signed with the same signing key as the one available from Google Play.

1. How can I sign with same signing key in debug mode while installing Apk on Connected device?.

If the app you are testing doesn’t appear with an available update, check that you’ve properly set up your testing tracks.

2. Is it compulsory to release App in internal testing tracks to test implementation?

Anyway I just want to test on my device and I decremented the version code from the play store version but its showing always UPDATE_NOT_AVAILABLE.

Here is code:-

val appUpdateInfo: Task<AppUpdateInfo> = appUpdateManager.appUpdateInfo
appUpdateInfo.addOnSuccessListener {
    if (it.updateAvailability() == UpdateAvailability.UPDATE_AVAILABLE && it.isUpdateTypeAllowed(AppUpdateType.FLEXIBLE)) {
        appUpdateManager.startUpdateFlowForResult(it, AppUpdateType.FLEXIBLE, this, 2);
    }else{
        toast("Not Available")
    }
}

Answer 1

I struggled with this same problem for a few days before once again going through the documentation thoroughly. Read this section on the official documentation of the in-app updates.

The link describes the correct testing procedure as follows:

1. On your test device, make sure you've already installed a version of your app that meets the following requirements:

• The app was installed using an internal app sharing URL
• Supports in-app updates
• Uses a version code that's lower than the updated version of your app

2. Follow the Play Console instructions on how to share your app internally. Make sure you upload a version of your app that uses a version code that's higher than the one you have already installed on the test device.
3. On the test device, only click the internal app-sharing link for the updated version of your app. Do not install the app from the Google Play Store page you see after clicking the link.
4. Open the app from the device's app drawer or home screen. The update should now be available to your app, and you can test your implementation of in-app updates.

This is also super helpful because you don't have to wait for the app to be published, you can start testing immediately.

Answer 2

As of today, in-app-update testing can not be done for a debug build. You don't need to put your apk to PlayStore to test also. The best way to test in-app-update is by using internal-app-sharing.

If you follow the below steps one-by-one, you'll be able to test successfully.

1. To test the app, a tester has to first enable Internal-App-Sharing in PlayStore, follow this link for the same, How to Enable Internal App Sharing for Android?
2. If you're brave enough to understand the official documents, then simply follow this link to set-up in-app-update testing in your device, https://developer.android.com/guide/playcore/in-app-updates#internal-app-sharing

Here, I'll be writing the same in easy words.

Once you're done with setting up internal-app-sharing in Play-Store, make sure that you have to upload 2 apks to internal-app-sharing on Play-Console and hence generate 2 links. Both apks will be signed using the same signing-key (need not be the same as the one you use to sign for production, any dummy signing-key would work).

3. First you upload an apk with in-app-update implementation with lower VersionCode (say, 100) to internal-app-sharing on play console.

To know, How to upload apk to internal-app-sharing on Play-Console, follow this lisk, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9844679?visit_id=637437125318137239-1277036129&rd=1

NOTE: make sure, you have uninstalled any preinstalled app with the same package-name in your device.

4. Now you copy the link of the app you uploaded to internal-app-sharing on the play console and use this link to install the app on your device.

NOTE: Before installing, make sure the email-id you're using on play-store has been added in the mail-list on internal-app-sharing on play-console.

5. Now, once you've installed the app using the link. Now, you need to again create a new signed apk with higher VersionCode (say, 101). And upload this apk to internal-app-sharing.

6. Now, copy the link with higher VersionCode from internal-app-sharing. Click on this link on your device, it will take you to play-store but this time, update button will be enabled rather than install button as app is already installed in your device with lower VersionCode.

7. You don't have to click the update button on PlayStore. You just have to click the link and hence open the screen on PlayStore. Now close PlayStore app.

8. Now, you can launch the already installed app from your device.

If your implementation of in-app-update is fine, launching the app would appear the dialog from PlayStore for update.

Lastly, don't forget to upvote if it helps you in any way. Keep Coding!

Answer 3

I had the similar issue of having UPDATE_NOT_AVAILABLE. After hours of researching, here is how i solved:

1. use Google play store to install a version of the testing app (I used internal test track rollout)

2. rollout another version with higher VERSION CODE on Play Console (the same internal test track)

3. close both testing app and Google play store (not just back to home, use recent key and swipe them off)

4. open the Google play store and ensure that testing app has an update available (you can check it under "My Apps & Game" > Installed)

5. now open the testing app and check for UPDATE_AVAILABLE

This works for me almost immediately after rollout

Answer 4

Basic Requirements for Manual Testing

In order to manually perform the full update flow on the test device, you should have at least two versions of the app with the different version number: a source version and a target version.

• The source version with the higher version number should be published at Google Play, this is the version which will be identified by Google Play as an available update. The target version with the lower version number and integrated IAUs(In-App Updates) feature should be installed on your device, this is the version which will be updated. The thing is, when the app requests Google Play to check for available updates, it compares the version number of the installed app with the version number of the last available build-in Google Play. So the IAUs feature will be triggered only in case if the version number in Google Play is higher than actual version of the app on the device.
• Both the source and the target versions need to have the same package name and should be signed with the same release certificate.
• Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher.
• Play Core library 1.5.0 or higher.

Update is Not Available ERROR

First of all, please double-check the requirements mentioned above. If you successfully complete above listed steps in compliance with all requirements and still getting the error then please pay attention to the following trick. The most likely reason is that the Google Play app does not know about the update yet due to the internal caching mechanism. To make sure you have the cache fresh when testing manually you can refresh the cached version by going to the My Apps & Games screen in the Google Play app. Other, alternative, you can simply clear the cache of the Google Play app in the settings. Note that this is just an issue for testing and does not affect end users since the cache is updated daily anyway.

Note - App Bundle is not mandatory for IAUs.

Answer 5

I installed my app from Google Play. Then I removed it and intalled the signed apk with lower versionCode.

"In-app updates are available only to user accounts that own the app. So, make sure the account you’re using has downloaded your app from Google Play at least once before using the account to test in-app updates." developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle/in-app-updates

Answer 6

As Arpit J. suggested basic main requirements to test the app, if still you are not able to successfully test the app, I would like to add one more last step that would help you to quickly test the app.

Go to play store app info from settings as shown in image, and do clear data as show in attached screenshots. The steps to go to play store app info may vary device by device.

Answer 7

Also there is FakeAppUpdateManager that was created for such purposes. You can use it.

Answer 8

First, you'd have to publish your app to Google Play. Make sure that:

1. The version code you published is higher than the one you're going to test the updates with, because if not, then it wouldn't recognize it as an update. Then let the Google Play refresh its cache for quite some time (in my case, I've waited for 12 hours before I was able to make it work for the first time).
2. You've signed both apks with the same signature.

If you want to have a working demo app, I've uploaded a git repository with a lower version code than the one that I've published in Google Play.

Answer 9

Finally resolved this by removing the app from Play Store -> My apps & games -> Library.

• You must install release application with same keystore that you used for previous version.

This happens when you have previously installed the same app with higher version code on your device or any device which shares the same gmail address in Play Store. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

When Internal app sharing dont work

Internal App Sharing is not working on a real device. I was testing several hours and always got the latest version of Internal Test and not the one of Interal App Sharing that was what I expected.

The solution is to use an emulator with Play Store.

I describe the step by step:

1. Create Virtual Device with Google Play greater than or equal to API Level 21 5.0.
2. Open the emulator and log in with the google account that is in the list of internal testers.
3. Build the 2 APKs with different versions. Each one with the same versionCode and versionName temporarily to go checking when performing the installations. For example:

---

APK 1: versionCode and versionName: 100

APK 2: versionCode and versionName: 101

---

4. Upload APK 1 to internalappsharing with versionCode and versionName 100

5. Copy and paste the shared link of APK 1 into Keep Notes web app.

6. Install APK 1 with versionCode 100 using the link from the emulator Keep Notes application.
7. The most important thing: Check that the installed app has versionName 100.
8. If we open APK 1 at this point, no update will be available until we upload APK 2 with a larger version.
9. Upload APK 2 with code 101 to internalappsharing
10. Copy and paste the APK 2 link into Keep Notes web app.
11. DO NOT install APK 2 from the link. Just enter APK 2 link to check that the Play Store describes the existence of an update.
12. Open the app installed on the emulator with APK 1 and install the update in-app.

Finally, each time they enter a link with a version code greater than the last installed from the emulator they will see the existence of a new update, which should be installed within the app and not from the Play Store.

---

It is worth mentioning that Logcat is compatible with Internal App Sharing.

GL

Source

Answer 11

For the first question, they are saying that you need to do a release build of the app, using your release keystore. Then, you could attach the resulting .apk file to an e-mail and e-mail it to yourself. Then, check your e-mail on your android device and download the .apk attachment to your downloads, and at the end of the download, Android should ask if you want to install the .apk, say yes (if it doesn't ask, then click on the file in your downloads folder, and then it should ask).

For the second question, the only way I can imagine testing this through the internal testing tracks since you have to interact with the Google Play storefront, but not affect your live published release.

Answer 12

You got a wait after publishing, it takes 2 to 6 hours.