• State Verified Answer
  • Replies 1 reply
  • Subscribers 17 subscribers
  • Views 384 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

how will my users know to download the newest version of my app?

ikelw2
over 3 years ago

Hello,

I have been hard at work creating a new and improved version of my apps.  They are beta versions of apps I will release under a different account name.

I noticed, when I uploaded a newer version to the Garmin app store, it used to show an "Upgrade available" link in the "activities & apps" window, indicating the developer had posted an upgrade to the site which users could download.

Now it no longer shows this.  There appears to be no way for the user to tell if/when the developer has posted an upgrade. Now, users have to click "view in Store" button and scroll down to the bottom to see the "Updated:" and "Version" information, and it STILL does not show that the app is in any way updated.  Moreover, there doesn't appear to be any way to see what app version the user is currently using, in order to compare versions.  Only a clever user would be able to compare version numbers with what they remember downloading, and or the change in release dates, to determine that there is an upgrade available.  

Users must click "download" on this page, in order to download the newer version.  But there is no longer an "upgrade" button showing in the Garmin mobile app, indicating existence of an upgraded version.

Is there a reason for this change?  I personally think having an "upgrade" button was great because it showed users the existence of an upgraded version to the app!   How can I ask Garmin to bring this function back to Garmin connect mobile app?

I thought that perhaps all app updates were now being done automatically, because I saw a setting in my Garmin account saying "automatic updates" was enabled.  However, even when automatic updates are enabled in my account, syncing the watch does not upgrade the app to the newest version for me.  I just have to click "download" and hope it is a new version.  

How are my users going to be able to know when I've uploaded a really cool upgrade to my app?  I will of course use the text to tell users it is a new version.  Just wondering if there was anything better, like the red text which used to say "upgrade" next to each app when an upgrade existed.

(after reply by Jim;  Thank you so much, I feel so much better now knowing automatic updates is a thing for production apps!)

  • +1 over 3 years ago

    If you have a beta version of an app, you don't need to use a different account to upload a production version - you just need to change the manifest ID if you want a non-beta version in the store that anyone can download.

    When you update a production app, both the Connect IQ mobile app and Garmin Express will by default, automatically install the update for users.  In the store, if you look at statistics, you'll see a spike in downloads when you update an app, as all the users that have the app installed will get the update.