App version not updating on converged devices: version code must increment, not just version name

Android

When you upload a new app version to Esper and push it to your devices via Blueprint, the app may not update even though your devices show as converged. This typically happens because the app's version code wasn't incremented, only the version name. Learn how to identify and fix this issue.

Understanding version code vs. version name

Android devices use two different version identifiers for apps:

• Version code: An integer value that Android uses to determine if an app update is newer. For example, 6, 7, 8.
• Version name: A human-readable string displayed to users. For example, 2.0.29, 2.0.30.

Android's package manager only looks at the version code to decide whether to install an update. If the new app has the same or lower version code as the installed app, Android silently rejects the update—even if the version name is different.

Before you begin

You'll need:

• The APK file you want to deploy
• The version code of the currently installed app on your devices
• aapt (Android Asset Packaging Tool) or ADB access to compare version codes

Step 1: Check the version code of your new APK

Use one of these methods to inspect your APK's version code:

Option A: Using aapt on your computer

aapt dump badging your-app.apk | grep versionCode

Option B: Using ADB on a test device

adb shell dumpsys package com.your.package.name | grep versionCode

Note the version code value. It should be a single integer like 6, 7, or 8.

Step 2: Check the version code of the currently installed app

Connect via ADB to any device running the old version and run:

adb shell dumpsys package com.your.package.name | grep versionCode

Compare this value to the new APK's version code from Step 1.

Step 3: Verify the version codes are incrementing

The new APK's version code must be strictly greater than the installed version code. For example:

• ✓ Correct: Old app has version code 6, new app has version code 7
• ✗ Incorrect: Old app has version code 6, new app also has version code 6
• ✗ Incorrect: Old app has version code 7, new app has version code 6

If the version codes are not incrementing, ask your app developer to rebuild the APK with a higher version code before proceeding.

Step 4: Upload the corrected APK to Esper

1. In the Esper Console, go to Apps → Private Apps.
2. Find your app and click Upload New Version.
3. Select your corrected APK and upload it.

Step 5: Update your Blueprint

1. Navigate to Blueprints → [Your Blueprint Name] → Apps.
2. Find the app you just updated and select the newly uploaded version from the dropdown.
3. Click Save and Publish.

Step 6: Converge devices

1. Go to Devices & Groups → [Your Device Group] → Blueprint.
2. Click Converge to push the updated Blueprint to your devices.

Step 7: Verify the update

After converging, verify that the app has been updated:

Option A: Using the Esper Console

1. Go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps.
2. Look for your app and confirm the new version is listed.

Option B: Using ADB

adb shell dumpsys package com.your.package.name | grep -E "versionName|versionCode"

Both the version name and version code should reflect the new values you uploaded.

If the app still doesn't update

Check device connectivity: Ensure the device is online (green status) in Devices & Groups at the time you converge. If the device is offline, it won't receive the update until it reconnects.

Verify minimum SDK requirements: If your APK targets a higher Android API level than the device is running, Android will silently reject the install. Check that the device's Android version meets the APK's minSdkVersion requirement.

Review device logs: Request a bug report from the device to check for package install errors:

1. Go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Request Bug Report.
2. Download and review the logs for any package manager errors.

Still need help?

If you've confirmed the version code is correct, the device is online, and the app still isn't updating, contact Esper Support with your device name, the app package name, and a copy of the bug report from your device.