On the Android Dev Summit, Google released some new applications for the Android App Bundle tool, including updates for Android apps that can be run while using the app. With this Google wants to encourage users to download the latest version of an app faster.
Developers will soon have two new possibilities to force updates as it were. For urgent matters such as security issues, developers can choose to have a message appear in Android apps when users launch the app. This message indicates that a new update is available. The possibility to postpone the update remains because it can always happen that you have no access to wifi or with a nearly empty battery running around.
For less urgent updates, an option is also offered to developers of Android apps. The In-App Updates API allows users to keep using the app while the update is being downloaded in the background. When the app is then restarted, the latest version is immediately installed.
This new feature is also useful for developers and users alike. If apps contain a very problematic bug, developers can now prompt users to install them as soon as possible. Not everyone has the automatic update function on. At the same time, this also solves the problem where you can not use an app during an update, because certainly at low download speeds this can be a difficult fact.
Finally, this new API for Android apps is currently still in the test phase in collaboration with some partners. However, there are already plans to extend this function as soon as possible to all app developers.
