Updating custom Android app

Question

My customer wants the android app to update itself automatically whenever a change is made. They do not want to publish the app in the android market. For the first time, the app will be installed using the Android SDK or the numerous other ways to install.

How do I ensure that the app is automatically upgraded whenever bug fixes or features are added. If not automatically, a button from the app is also ok

Thanks.

score 6 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:52

6

Create an "updater" application. This application will monitor a remote server for updates and if it finds one, it will install the apk programmatically. Read this question for directions on how you can install an apk programmatically. You will easily find more information regarding this topic on the net.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:52

Community

1
1

answered Mar 22 '11 at 12:10

kgiannakakis

103,016
27
158
194

re: easily find more info. A few choice resources would be useful. – Michael Easter May 14 '13 at 15:05

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 08 '13 at 14:44

2

You could try to use Pushlink. http://www.push-link.com

answered Sep 08 '13 at 14:44

Victor Hugo Bueno

267
1
4
9

Carles Company · Answer 3 · 2013-09-09T06:59:07.283

0

If your client is using Google Apps you can create a private Google play channel for your organization. There you can publish the apps only for your users to see. I know that you explicitly said that this is not an option, but it's, by far, the best option (although it's not free).

http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2494992

edited Sep 09 '13 at 06:59

answered Sep 08 '13 at 15:22

Carles Company

7,118
5
49
75

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 22 '11 at 12:09

0

It can be done in following ways : 1. a push notification mechanism 2. server pooling on each start / time interval 3. Push SMS

to update the client application.

answered Mar 22 '11 at 12:09

Atmaram

3,655
2
27
33

SergeyYu · Answer 5 · 2019-01-11T05:02:07.397

Maybe you can update your app programmatically:

download new version of your app (*.apk) to a local storage of Android device
run new Intent for update app


    Intent intentInstall = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW)
            .setDataAndType(Uri.parse("file:///path/to/new_app.apk"), 
                            "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
    intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    startActivity(intentInstall);

remove downloaded *.apk

See also Android App Version Update service without releasing it to marketplace

Updating custom Android app

5 Answers5