In-app Updates

Overview

In-app updates help you configure update alerts for your users and ensure your app is regularly updated on their devices. It allows your users to gain more control over their app updates and let them try out new features as and when they are released.

When an update is available for your app, the users will see a pop-up in the app, enabling them to update the app from the respective app store. 

NOTE: If the user chooses 'DO NOT ASK AGAIN', the update pop-up will not appear for them again.

You can configure in-app updates for iOS, Android, and other platforms from the console. Apptics also supports Google's in-app updates for Android apps running on OS level 5.0 and above.

Configure In-app updates

For Android:

  • Navigate to Grow > In-app Updates. 
  • Select the Package name to configure the In-app updates.
  • Click Configure to start configuring the in-app updates.
  • Select the Promoted App version and the min. SDK version for the update.
  • If you want to provide the content for the alert message, click Upload and upload the language.json file.
NOTE: You can download a sample file for the alert content.
  • Click on the Preview Alert Message to get a preview of how your alert message will appear on the user screen.
  • Choose the Alert type from the given three options, i.e. Android in-app alerts, Apptics Custom alerts, or Apptics Native alerts.

Android in-app alerts: Android in-app updates is a default update option. There are two types of updates: Flexible and Immediate.

  1. Flexible updates: A user can continue using the app during the update and installation will happen in the background. 
  2. Immediate update: A user needs to update and restart the app in order to continue using it. This type is used for updates that are critical for the continued use of the app.

Force update: This is an additional option provided by Apptics. You can use this option for critical updates that will impact the app's performance. These updates must be installed immediately to continue using the app.

NOTE: Android in-app alerts are only applicable for Android apps running on OS level 5.0 and above. For the android apps running on the OS level below 5.0, you can use Apptics custom or native alerts.

Apptics Custom/Native Alerts: Apptics custom alerts provide four options, i.e.,

  1. Ignorable: These are non-critical updates and won't have any impact on the app performance even if these updates are not installed.
  2. Remind Me: These are important updates that can be deferred by the user for a period specified by the developer.
  3. Force: These are the critical updates that will impact app performance and must be installed immediately to continue using the app.
  4. Non-supported OS: You can prompt your users to update to the latest OS for an uninterrupted app experience.
  • Configure the App Version Range for the individual types of alerts.
  • Configure the Reminder for individual alert types (applicable only for Ignorable and Remind Me alerts).
NOTE: You cannot set the reminder days for Force update or OS update, as these are critical updates and need to be installed immediately for an uninterrupted app experience.​
  • For Non-supported OS, you can configure the messages to be shown in the App UI for the user to take appropriate action.
  • App updates are usually distributed via Google Play Store. If you wish to distribute your in-app updates via any custom URL, click the Yes box and provide the download URL.
  • Click Update & Publish to save your configuration.
  • Click Confirm & Save and your configuration will be saved.
  • Once the configuration is saved, you will be redirected to the In-app updates dashboard.

For iOS:

  • Navigate to Grow > In-app Updates.
  • Select the Bundle id to configure the In-app updates.
  • Click Configure to start configuring the in-app updates.
  • Select the Promoted App version and the deployment target for which you want to configure the updates.
  • If you want to provide the content for the alert message, click Upload and upload the language.json file.
NOTE: You can download a sample file for the alert content.
  • Click on the Preview Alert Message to get a preview of how your alert message will appear on the app screen of a user.
  • Choose the Alert type from the given options, i.e., Apptics Custom alerts and Apptics Native alerts.

Apptics Custom/Native Alerts: Apptics custom alerts provide four options, i.e.:

  1. Ignorable: These are non-critical updates and won't have any impact on the app performance if these updates are not installed.
  2. Remind Me: These are important updates that can be deferred by the user for a period specified by the developer.
  3. Force: These are the critical updates that will impact the app performance and are to be installed immediately to continue using the app.
  4. Non-supported OS: You can prompt your users to update to the latest OS for an uninterrupted app experience.
  • Configure the App Version Range for the individual types of alerts.
  • Configure the Reminder for individual alert types (applicable only for Ignorable and Remind Me alerts).
NOTE: You cannot set the reminder days for Force update and OS update as these are critical updates and need to be installed immediately for an uninterrupted app experience.
  • For Non-supported OS, you can configure the messages to be shown in the App UI for the user to take appropriate action.
  • In-app updates are distributed via the App Store. If you wish to distribute your in-app updates via any custom URL, click the Yes box and provide the Store URL.
  • Click Update & Publish to save your configuration.
  • Click Confirm & Save and your configuration will be saved.
  • Once the configuration is saved, you will be redirected to the In-app updates dashboard.

In-app Updates Dashboard

The In-app Updates Dashboard shows stats about the update alerts you have configured for each Bundle id or Package name.

  • If you want to disable the configuration for the selected Bundle id, click on the Enable/Disable Toggle switch.
  • Click on View Detailed Report to dive into more details about the individual alert type based on app version, device version, device model, and country. Detailed reports for all the stats will be available at the bottom of the page.

  • Click on the individual tabs to drill down details based on the app version, device version, device model, and country. View details about devices, updated devices, impressions, downloads, remind me later, ignore, OS freeze, and OS continue.

  • Click on History to get a list of all the previous configurations done for the selected bundle id and view further details such as the promoted version, pop-up type, updated devices, impressions, downloads, remind me later, ignore, OS freeze, OS continue, and the date of configuring the update alert.