[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
We are running some tests on this and get it to work on some of our applications but not for all (2.1). One of our most critical application doesn't appear as installed nor as update available on market although we have increase versioncode and package is signed with same certificate. The only thing that is different between working apps and not is that the one that doesn't display as installed or update available uses a shared library. Do we need to do something special for that or? Peter On Jul 24, 9:53 pm, Dianne Hackborn hack...@android.com wrote: Current states: As of 1.6 Market allows installing updates to apps that already exist pre-installed on the system image. Currently however it does not know about these apps until the user explicitly installs an update, so for the initial case where the app only exists pre-installed it will not be listed as downloaded nor will the user be told about updates. In the future I know the market team is working on being able to discover these pre-installed apps and prompt the user when there are updates, but I don't know when that will appear. (When it does, though, I think it should eventually be available across all devices, since as of 1.6 Market can also self-update itself.) On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 10:04 AM, Webnet Android webnet.andr...@gmail.comwrote: Are you sure about that? Because I had Google Maps pre-installed on my G1 Not 100% sure now as it was a while ago I played with it, but this can be easily verified. Assuming you got rooted device put i.e. your old version of your app's APK in /system/apps or /data/apps and then launch Market to see if it will appear in and update will be offered (assuming newer one is on Market, of course :) As for Maps - I got a feeling that i.e. Milestone comes with number of preinstalled apps (incl. Maps) and there was no problem with the updates (Market app reported and downloaded w/o problem). Got no G1 to check that but it maybe some other factor too - maybe others will be more handy. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2Bunsubs cr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Got one application that is preloaded with shared libraries. Anything special I need to think about regarding Market Update or just ensure same cert and increase versioncode? Best Regards Peter On Jul 25, 6:53 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 4:14 PM, Joseph Earl joseph.w.e...@gmail.comwrote: If it's possible, please give the user an option to remove the program if they want, since it's well... kind of their phone and I think users (quite rightly) expect a degree of control. Some of the apps that come with phones I love and use to this day, and some I don't. I really don't care about pre-installed apps (it's generally expected), but forcing a user to have apps lying around that they may never use cannot be good design practice by any book. rant YES YES YES. It's bad enough 2.1 came with Facebook but now after updating to 2.2 I now have f*cking Twitter as well? WTF? If I wanted either of these stupid apps, I would go download them for myself, thank you very much. I don't care how popular FB and Twitter are, we don't all use them and there's no reason to force people to have them. /rant --- -- TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
On 24 July 2010 00:43, Albert albert8...@googlemail.com wrote: The thing is that because the app is pre-installed it does not appear under the downloads section on the Android Market. It makes no difference if app is preinstalled or downloaded. It will appear in Downloads section of Market as long such package also exists in Market (apps installed by hand will also pop up on that list if the same condition is met). So if you want to offer users any update to preinstalled app, make sure package name is the same and bump versionCode to something higher. Voila. Of course, boths apps have to be signed with the same key. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 5:01 AM, Webnet Android webnet.andr...@gmail.comwrote: It makes no difference if app is preinstalled or downloaded. It will appear in Downloads section of Market as long such package also exists in Market Are you sure about that? Because I had Google Maps pre-installed on my G1 before they began releasing it on the Market. When they did, I found the Market version of Maps on the Market and did not have the option to update, nor did it show up in the downloads section. It was only after downloading the new version from Market (and replacing the existing copy) that it began showing up. - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Are you sure about that? Because I had Google Maps pre-installed on my G1 Not 100% sure now as it was a while ago I played with it, but this can be easily verified. Assuming you got rooted device put i.e. your old version of your app's APK in /system/apps or /data/apps and then launch Market to see if it will appear in and update will be offered (assuming newer one is on Market, of course :) As for Maps - I got a feeling that i.e. Milestone comes with number of preinstalled apps (incl. Maps) and there was no problem with the updates (Market app reported and downloaded w/o problem). Got no G1 to check that but it maybe some other factor too - maybe others will be more handy. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Current states: As of 1.6 Market allows installing updates to apps that already exist pre-installed on the system image. Currently however it does not know about these apps until the user explicitly installs an update, so for the initial case where the app only exists pre-installed it will not be listed as downloaded nor will the user be told about updates. In the future I know the market team is working on being able to discover these pre-installed apps and prompt the user when there are updates, but I don't know when that will appear. (When it does, though, I think it should eventually be available across all devices, since as of 1.6 Market can also self-update itself.) On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 10:04 AM, Webnet Android webnet.andr...@gmail.comwrote: Are you sure about that? Because I had Google Maps pre-installed on my G1 Not 100% sure now as it was a while ago I played with it, but this can be easily verified. Assuming you got rooted device put i.e. your old version of your app's APK in /system/apps or /data/apps and then launch Market to see if it will appear in and update will be offered (assuming newer one is on Market, of course :) As for Maps - I got a feeling that i.e. Milestone comes with number of preinstalled apps (incl. Maps) and there was no problem with the updates (Market app reported and downloaded w/o problem). Got no G1 to check that but it maybe some other factor too - maybe others will be more handy. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Well I don't think pre-installed apps are the best way to get apps on the phone. Very often, users simply don't keep those pre-installed apps or they don't want to use them at least but normally those apps are hard, sometimes impossible, to remove without taking big changes in the system itself. And most of the times, the apps are already outdated when they're chipped so every new device has to update itself immediately after first boot. That's to much Windows like where you install Windows for 40 Min (Max. for me) and you're doing updates for at least 3 hours. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
If it's possible, please give the user an option to remove the program if they want, since it's well... kind of their phone and I think users (quite rightly) expect a degree of control. Some of the apps that come with phones I love and use to this day, and some I don't. I really don't care about pre-installed apps (it's generally expected), but forcing a user to have apps lying around that they may never use cannot be good design practice by any book. Please do keep us updated on how you do, and how well it works. Wish you all the best. On Jul 24, 9:49 pm, Xenplex xenp...@gmail.com wrote: Well I don't think pre-installed apps are the best way to get apps on the phone. Very often, users simply don't keep those pre-installed apps or they don't want to use them at least but normally those apps are hard, sometimes impossible, to remove without taking big changes in the system itself. And most of the times, the apps are already outdated when they're chipped so every new device has to update itself immediately after first boot. That's to much Windows like where you install Windows for 40 Min (Max. for me) and you're doing updates for at least 3 hours. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Thanks everyone for your answers. TreKing suggestion should work fine and I agree the Market should handle this cases better. I hope to see that in future versions :-) Cheers, Alberto On Jul 24, 10:14 pm, Joseph Earl joseph.w.e...@gmail.com wrote: If it's possible, please give the user an option to remove the program if they want, since it's well... kind of their phone and I think users (quite rightly) expect a degree of control. Some of the apps that come with phones I love and use to this day, and some I don't. I really don't care aboutpre-installedapps (it's generally expected), but forcing a user to have apps lying around that they may never use cannot be good design practice by any book. Please do keep us updated on how you do, and how well it works. Wish you all the best. On Jul 24, 9:49 pm, Xenplex xenp...@gmail.com wrote: Well I don't thinkpre-installedapps are the best way to get apps on the phone. Very often, users simply don't keep thosepre-installedapps or they don't want to use them at least but normally those apps are hard, sometimes impossible, to remove without taking big changes in the system itself. And most of the times, the apps are already outdated when they're chipped so every new device has to update itself immediately after first boot. That's to much Windows like where you install Windows for 40 Min (Max. for me) and you're doing updates for at least 3 hours. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
I think there may be more than technical reasons at work here, but I agree, stock Android should allow removing built-in apps, with the exception of the Market itself. For example, I use GMail and never use the normal E-Mail client, but I have to look at its icon every time I search for an app. Of course, the stock apps then should be made available on the Market so that the phone could be restored to its original state. On Jul 25, 5:14 am, Joseph Earl joseph.w.e...@gmail.com wrote: If it's possible, please give the user an option to remove the program if they want, since it's well... kind of their phone and I think users (quite rightly) expect a degree of control. Some of the apps that come with phones I love and use to this day, and some I don't. I really don't care about pre-installed apps (it's generally expected), but forcing a user to have apps lying around that they may never use cannot be good design practice by any book. Please do keep us updated on how you do, and how well it works. Wish you all the best. On Jul 24, 9:49 pm, Xenplex xenp...@gmail.com wrote: Well I don't think pre-installed apps are the best way to get apps on the phone. Very often, users simply don't keep those pre-installed apps or they don't want to use them at least but normally those apps are hard, sometimes impossible, to remove without taking big changes in the system itself. And most of the times, the apps are already outdated when they're chipped so every new device has to update itself immediately after first boot. That's to much Windows like where you install Windows for 40 Min (Max. for me) and you're doing updates for at least 3 hours.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 4:14 PM, Joseph Earl joseph.w.e...@gmail.comwrote: If it's possible, please give the user an option to remove the program if they want, since it's well... kind of their phone and I think users (quite rightly) expect a degree of control. Some of the apps that come with phones I love and use to this day, and some I don't. I really don't care about pre-installed apps (it's generally expected), but forcing a user to have apps lying around that they may never use cannot be good design practice by any book. rant YES YES YES. It's bad enough 2.1 came with Facebook but now after updating to 2.2 I now have f*cking Twitter as well? WTF? If I wanted either of these stupid apps, I would go download them for myself, thank you very much. I don't care how popular FB and Twitter are, we don't all use them and there's no reason to force people to have them. /rant - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
What happens if you upload a newer version to Android Market with same package name? Does the Market app get there's an update? On Jul 23, 9:45 am, Albert albert8...@googlemail.com wrote: Hi all, I am working on an app that will be shipped on some phones. I have been thinking about how to update them once a new version is ready. How that would work for a pre-installed app? As an initial thought I think I could pop up a message letting the user know there is a new version ready, but if I could avoid unnecessary request to the server it would be better. If a google engineer comes across this please give me a hint as you do this for Google Maps... Thanks in advance. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
You have to update the VersionCode and VersionName in the manifest.xml to different values and the Market will interpret it as an update, provided that you sign it with the same Certificate you used to upload it in the first place. On Jul 23, 12:49 pm, Joseph Earl joseph.w.e...@gmail.com wrote: What happens if you upload a newer version to Android Market with same package name? Does the Market app get there's an update? On Jul 23, 9:45 am, Albert albert8...@googlemail.com wrote: Hi all, I am working on an app that will be shipped on some phones. I have been thinking about how to update them once a new version is ready. How that would work for a pre-installed app? As an initial thought I think I could pop up a message letting the user know there is a new version ready, but if I could avoid unnecessary request to the server it would be better. If a google engineer comes across this please give me a hint as you do this for Google Maps... Thanks in advance.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
The thing is that because the app is pre-installed it does not appear under the downloads section on the Android Market. How do I tell the users that a new version is available without checking the server every time the app is launched?? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 5:43 PM, Albert albert8...@googlemail.com wrote: The thing is that because the app is pre-installed it does not appear under the downloads section on the Android Market. You could release two versions together - the pre-installed one on the device and one for the market that has a higher version code. The pre-installed one could be programmed to tell the user to download the latest update from the market. Then they get that version (which has the checking removed) and it sticks in the downloads list. No idea if that will actually work. How do I tell the users that a new version is available without checking the server every time the app is launched?? No need to check every time the app is launched. Let them set an update-check interval and check periodically (every day, every week, every month). I assume you won't be having THAT many updates that something more frequent would be required. - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How to update pre-installed apps
Thanks for your reply. You could release two versions together - the pre-installed one on the device and one for the market that has a higher version code. The pre-installed one could be programmed to tell the user to download the latest update from the market. Then they get that version (which has the checking removed) and it sticks in the downloads list. No idea if that will actually work. It makes perfect sense, I think it should work. I am pretty sure it should stick in the downloads list, I will post here the result of that when we launch it. No need to check every time the app is launched. Let them set an update-check interval and check periodically (every day, every week, every month). I assume you won't be having THAT many updates that something more frequent would be required. Yes I wouldn't have check everytime :-) i said it out of frustration. I will have something in place in case the above fails... Thanks again! --- -- TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
