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Alex Devson
Alex Devson

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How I Handle App Updates in Android Without Google Play (23+ Stars)

#opensource

Updating Android apps shouldn't require a PhD. Yet most update libraries are overcomplicated nightmares. I built AndroidAppUpdater — the simplest way to check for and install updates.

The Problem

You've published an APK outside the Play Store (enterprise, sideloaded, whatever). Now you need to:

  • Check if a new version exists
  • Show a dialog to the user
  • Download and install the update
  • Handle permissions, file providers, and edge cases

That's a lot of boilerplate for "is there a new version?"

The Solution 

new AppUpdater(this)
    .setUpdateUrl("https://your-server.com/version.json")
    .start();
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Three lines. That's it. The library handles everything else.

Features

  • 🔄 Simple version checking — just point to a JSON file
  • 📥 Auto-download — downloads the APK in the background
  • 💬 User-friendly dialogs — shows update prompt with release notes
  • 🔧 Customizable — change colors, text, behavior
  • 📱 Works everywhere — no Play Store dependency

How It Works

  1. Host a simple JSON file with your latest version info
  2. The library checks against the installed version
  3. If an update exists, it shows a dialog
  4. User taps "Update" → APK downloads and installs

No server setup. No complex backend. Just a JSON file.

👉 GitHub: https://github.com/p32929/AndroidAppUpdater

23+ stars and used in production apps. Check it out!

How do you handle app updates outside the Play Store?

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