Google Play Store questions.

[IanMc]

Hi all, I recently uploaded my first app to Google Play Store.

I also installed it on my device from Google Play Store and noticed that it was set for automatic updates but last night I uploaded a newer apk and was hoping that my phone would magically tell me that there is a new update or just download and install the new update but it hasn't done that (yet).

When I look at the link on the web it is showing the new version etc.

Would it have anything to do with me changing its category?

I did have it in 'tools' and changed to 'education' just to see if more people would see it.

Is there something that I need to do to get Google Play Store to push out the new versions?

I mean all those 5 people who have installed it won't know about the tremendous improvements that I've made

 

[JonPM]

No I don't think you have anything to do with it. I think it depends on the device you are using and how often it checks for updates from the Store.

Side note: if you installed your app to your phone from B4A with the sign key, then the Play Store will not give you the option to update because you technically already have the updated version (even though you didn't download it through the Store).

 

[IanMc]

Cheers Jon,

No, I'd un-installed it from my development device, then installed the version from Google Play Store (the older version) allowed 'automatic updating' then I uploaded the new apk with some latest changes notes etc.

I noted that Google Play states that it might be some hours before changes take effect but I was hoping I'd see that familiar little downloady icon and be informed that BTInterface Free Trial BETA had been updated with ideally a screen showing me the latest changes notes but nada.

I could see that the new version was there from my PC. So just now I uninstalled it again and installed it from GPS (Google Play Store) and its the new version.

I was wondering if there was some setting or other on GPS that I'd not done or if it was because I'd changed the category from 'tools' to 'education'

its a mystery

 

[TomA]

Version Code

This may be a silly question, but did you remember to increment the Version Code in the Project Attributes before uploading the new version to Google? It is a simple thing to miss but I expect that, if it is not done, the new version won't be seen as new by Google so won't be pushed out as an update.
Tom

 

[IanMc]

That's a good point.

In our projects there are two Module attributes in Main

#VersionCode:

and

#VersionName:

the first one #VersionCode: must be a different number each time you upload the .apk to Google Play Store or else it will reject it so that at the moment is the integer 2

Then strangely enough what I've put in the #VersionName: field is this:

1.03 4th February 2013

And when you look at my apps page on the play store here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btinterface.trial.beta

It says 'current Version 1.03'
and nothing else, no more of the string.

So it would appear that #VersionCode must be a new number each time and that #VersionName is what appears on the Google Play Store and that it has taken the first part of my string which is a number and ignored the rest.

I did increase that number in VersionName: as well, it was 1.01 ... not sure what happened to 1.02

In future releases I'll just include that number 1.0x or whatever and won't bother to put anything more in that string.

 

[mmieher]

I am having the same problem with not getting automatic updates and I have been incrementing both the VersionCode and the VersionName. Do you have any further advice?

 

[Erel]

Automatic updates work based on the VersionCode field. Make sure that the manifest file is not read-only.