App Center Distribute – Android In-app updates

App Center Distribute will let your users install a new version of the app when you distribute it via App Center. With a new version of the app available, the SDK will present an update dialog to the users to either download or postpone the new version. Once they choose to update, the SDK will start to update your application.

Add in-app updates to your app

Follow the Get started section if you haven't set up and started the SDK in your application, yet.

1. Add the App Center Distribute module

The App Center SDK is designed with a modular approach – a developer only needs to integrate the modules of the services that they're interested in.

1. Open the project's app level build.gradle file (app/build.gradle) and add the following lines after apply plugin.

   dependencies {
      def appCenterSdkVersion = '5.0.4'
      implementation "com.microsoft.appcenter:appcenter-distribute:${appCenterSdkVersion}"
   }
   

   Note

   If the version of your Android Gradle plugin is lower than 3.0.0, you need to replace the implementation with compile.

2. Save your build.gradle file and make sure to trigger a Gradle sync in Android Studio.

3. DownloadManager is used to download updates. The App Center SDK enforces TLS 1.2 to improve security.

2. Start App Center Distribute

To use App Center, opt in to the module(s) that you want to use. By default no modules are started and you must explicitly call each of them when starting the SDK.

Add the Distribute class to your AppCenter.start() method to start App Center Distribute service.

AppCenter.start(getApplication(), "{Your App Secret}", Distribute.class);

AppCenter.start(application, "{Your App Secret}", Distribute::class.java)

Make sure you've replaced {Your App Secret} in the code sample above with your App Secret. Android Studio automatically suggests the required import statement once you add a reference to the Distribute class to the start() method, but if you see an error that the class names aren't recognized, add the following lines to the import statements in your activity class:

import com.microsoft.appcenter.AppCenter;
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.Distribute;

import com.microsoft.appcenter.AppCenter
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.Distribute

Prepare your Google Play build

Google Play considers the in-app update code as malicious behavior even if it isn’t used at runtime. Use a variant of the Distribute SDK as directed in this section or completely remove the Distribute SDK that contains in-app update code before submitting your app to Google Play. Failure to do so can lead to noncompliance and removal of the app from Google Play. To make it easier, we provide the version of App Center Distribute SDK with stubbed APIs, so the only change for you is a dependency swap.

1. Open the project's app level build.gradle file (app/build.gradle).

2. Configure build variants by adding product flavors:

   android {
       flavorDimensions "distribute"
       productFlavors {
           appCenter {
               dimension "distribute"
           }
           googlePlay {
               dimension "distribute"
           }
       }
   }
   

3. Modify dependencies block to consume different dependencies based on the product flavor:

   dependencies {
       def appCenterSdkVersion = "5.0.4"
       appCenterImplementation "com.microsoft.appcenter:appcenter-distribute:${appCenterSdkVersion}"
       googlePlayImplementation "com.microsoft.appcenter:appcenter-distribute-play:${appCenterSdkVersion}"
   }
   

4. Save your build.gradle file and make sure to trigger a Gradle sync in Android Studio.

5. You can change the build variant in Build > Select Build Variant drop down menu or Build Variants in the tool window bar.

You can read more about configuring build variants in the Android documentation.

Use private distribution group

By default, Distribute uses a public distribution group. If you want to use a private distribution group, you'll need to explicitly set it via setUpdateTrack API.

Distribute.setUpdateTrack(UpdateTrack.PRIVATE);

Distribute.setUpdateTrack(UpdateTrack.PRIVATE)

When the app is in foreground (after Distribute.setUpdateTrack(UpdateTrack.PRIVATE); and AppCenter.start), a browser window opens to authenticate the user. All the subsequent update checks will get the latest release on the private track.

If a user is on the private track, it means that after the successful authentication, they'll get the latest release from any private distribution groups they're a member of. If a user is on the public track, it means that they'll get the latest release from any public distribution group.

Disable Automatic Check for Update

By default, the SDK automatically checks for new releases:

• When the application starts.
• When the application goes into foreground after going to background.
• When enabling the Distribute module if previously disabled.

If you want to check for new releases manually, you can disable automatic check for update. To do this, call the following method before the SDK start:

Distribute.disableAutomaticCheckForUpdate();

Distribute.disableAutomaticCheckForUpdate()

Then you can use the checkForUpdate API, which is described in the following section.

Manually Check for Update

Distribute.checkForUpdate();

Distribute.checkForUpdate()

This sends a request to App Center and display an update dialog in case there's a new release available.

Customize or localize the in-app update dialog

1. Customize or localize text

You can easily provide your own resource strings if you want to change or localize the text displayed in the update dialog. Look at the string files in this resource file. Use the same string name/key and specify the localized value to be reflected in the dialog in your own app resource files.

2. Customize the update dialog

You can customize the default update dialog's appearance by implementing the DistributeListener interface. You need to register the listener before calling AppCenter.start as shown in the following example:

Distribute.setListener(new MyDistributeListener());
AppCenter.start(...);

Distribute.setListener(MyDistributeListener())
AppCenter.start(...)

Here is an example of the listener implementation that replaces the SDK dialog with a custom one:

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlertDialog;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.net.Uri;

import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.Distribute;
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.DistributeListener;
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.ReleaseDetails;
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.UpdateAction;

public class MyDistributeListener implements DistributeListener {

    @Override
    public boolean onReleaseAvailable(Activity activity, ReleaseDetails releaseDetails) {

        // Look at releaseDetails public methods to get version information, release notes text or release notes URL
        String versionName = releaseDetails.getShortVersion();
        int versionCode = releaseDetails.getVersion();
        String releaseNotes = releaseDetails.getReleaseNotes();
        Uri releaseNotesUrl = releaseDetails.getReleaseNotesUrl();

        // Build our own dialog title and message
        AlertDialog.Builder dialogBuilder = new AlertDialog.Builder(activity);
        dialogBuilder.setTitle("Version " + versionName + " available!"); // you should use a string resource instead, this is just a simple example
        dialogBuilder.setMessage(releaseNotes);

        // Mimic default SDK buttons
        dialogBuilder.setPositiveButton(com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.R.string.appcenter_distribute_update_dialog_download, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {

                // This method is used to tell the SDK what button was clicked
                Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.UPDATE);
            }
        });

        // We can postpone the release only if the update isn't mandatory
        if (!releaseDetails.isMandatoryUpdate()) {
            dialogBuilder.setNegativeButton(com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.R.string.appcenter_distribute_update_dialog_postpone, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {

                @Override
                public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {

                    // This method is used to tell the SDK what button was clicked
                    Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.POSTPONE);
                }
            });
        }
        dialogBuilder.setCancelable(false); // if it's cancelable you should map cancel to postpone, but only for optional updates
        dialogBuilder.create().show();

        // Return true if you're using your own dialog, false otherwise
        return true;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void onNoReleaseAvailable(Activity activity) {
        Toast.makeText(activity, activity.getString(R.string.no_updates_available), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }
}

import android.app.Activity
import android.app.AlertDialog
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.Distribute
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.DistributeListener
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.ReleaseDetails
import com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.UpdateAction

class MyDistributeListener : DistributeListener {

    override fun onReleaseAvailable(activity: Activity, releaseDetails: ReleaseDetails): Boolean {

        // Look at releaseDetails public methods to get version information, release notes text or release notes URL
        val versionName = releaseDetails.shortVersion
        val versionCode = releaseDetails.version
        val releaseNotes = releaseDetails.releaseNotes
        val releaseNotesUrl = releaseDetails.releaseNotesUrl

        // Build our own dialog title and message
        val dialogBuilder = AlertDialog.Builder(activity)
        dialogBuilder.setTitle("Version $versionName available!") // you should use a string resource instead, this is just a simple example
        dialogBuilder.setMessage(releaseNotes)

        // Mimic default SDK buttons
        dialogBuilder.setPositiveButton(
            com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.R.string.appcenter_distribute_update_dialog_download
        ) { dialog, which ->
            // This method is used to tell the SDK what button was clicked
            Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.UPDATE)
        }

        // We can postpone the release only if the update isn't mandatory
        if (!releaseDetails.isMandatoryUpdate) {
            dialogBuilder.setNegativeButton(
                com.microsoft.appcenter.distribute.R.string.appcenter_distribute_update_dialog_postpone
            ) { dialog, which ->
                // This method is used to tell the SDK what button was clicked
                Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.POSTPONE)
            }
        }
        dialogBuilder.setCancelable(false) // if it's cancelable you should map cancel to postpone, but only for optional updates
        dialogBuilder.create().show()

        // Return true if you're using your own dialog, false otherwise
        return true
    }

    override fun onNoReleaseAvailable(activity: Activity) {
        Toast.makeText(activity, activity.getString(R.string.no_updates_available), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show()
    }
}

As shown in the example, you must either call Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.UPDATE); or Distribute.notifyUpdateAction(UpdateAction.POSTPONE); if your listener returns true.

If you don't call notifyUpdateAction, the callback will repeat on every activity change.

The listener can be called again with the same release if the activity changes before the user action is notified to the SDK.

This behavior is needed to cover the following scenarios:

• Your application is sent to the background (like pressing HOME) then resumed in a different activity.
• Your activity is covered by another one without leaving the application (like clicking on some notifications).
• Other similar scenarios.

In that case, the activity hosting the dialog might be replaced without user interaction. So the SDK calls the listener again so that you can restore the custom dialog.

In cases when the SDK checks for updates and doesn't find any updates available newer than the one currently used, a onNoReleaseAvailable from DistributeListener interface callback is invoked. This allows you to execute custom code in such scenarios. The example above shows how to display toast message when no updates are found.

Enable or disable App Center Distribute at runtime

You can enable and disable App Center Distribute at runtime. If you disable it, the SDK won't provide any in-app update functionality but you can still use Distribute service in App Center portal.

Distribute.setEnabled(false);

Distribute.setEnabled(false)

To enable App Center Distribute again, use the same API but pass true as a parameter.

Distribute.setEnabled(true);

Distribute.setEnabled(true)

The state is persisted in the device's storage across application launches.

This API is asynchronous, you can read more about that in our App Center Asynchronous APIs guide.

Check if App Center Distribute is enabled

You can also check if App Center Distribute is enabled or not:

Distribute.isEnabled();

Distribute.isEnabled()

This API is asynchronous, you can read more about that in our App Center Asynchronous APIs guide.

Enable in-app updates for debug builds

By default App Center enables in-app updates only for release builds.

To enable in-app updates in debug builds, call the following method before AppCenter.start:

Distribute.setEnabledForDebuggableBuild(true);

Distribute.setEnabledForDebuggableBuild(true)

How do in-app updates work?

The in-app updates feature works as follows:

1. This feature only works with RELEASE builds (by default) that are distributed using App Center Distribute service.

2. Once you integrate the SDK, build release version of your app and upload to App Center, users in that distribution group will be notified for the new release via an email.

3. When each user opens the link in their email, the application will be installed on their device. It's important that they use the email link to install - we don't support side-loading. When an application is downloaded from the link, the SDK saves important information from cookies to check for updates later, otherwise the SDK doesn’t have that key information.

4. If the application sets the track to private, a browser will open to authenticate the user and enable in-app updates. The browser won't open again as long as the authentication information remains valid even when switching back to the public track and back to private again later. If the browser authentication is successful, the user is redirected back to the application automatically. If the track is public (which is the default), the next step happens directly.

5. A new release of the app shows the in-app update dialog asking users to update your application if it's:

   • a higher value of versionCode or
   • an equal value of versionCode but a different value of versionName.

How do I test in-app updates?

You need to upload release builds (that use the Distribute module of the App Center SDK) to the App Center Portal to test in-app updates, increasing version numbers every time.

1. Create your app in the App Center Portal if you haven't already.
2. Create a new distribution group and name it, so you can recognize that it's meant for testing the in-app update feature.
3. Add yourself (or all people who you want to include on your test of the in-app update feature). Use a new or throw-away email address for this, that wasn't used for that app on App Center. This ensures that your experience is close to the experience of your real testers.
4. Create a new build of your app that includes App Center Distribute and contains the setup logic as described above. If the group is private, don't forget to set the private in-app update track before start using the setUpdateTrack API.
5. Click on the Distribute new release button in the portal and upload your build of the app.
6. Once the upload has finished, click Next and select the Distribution group that you created as the Destination of that app distribution.
7. Review the Distribution and distribute the build to your in-app testing group.
8. People in that group will receive an invite to be testers of the app. Once they accept the invite, they can download the app from the App Center Portal from their mobile device. Once they have in-app updates installed, you're ready to test in-app updates.
9. Bump the versionCode of your app.
10. Build the release version of your app and upload a new build of your app like you did in the previous step and distribute this to the Distribution Group you created earlier. Members of the Distribution Group will be prompted for a new version the next time the app starts.