App Update Shows Success in Event Log but APK Not Installed — Verify Version Code

Android

When an app update is pushed through Esper and the Activity Feed reports success, but the device continues running the old version of the app, the APK's version code is almost always the cause.

Why this happens

Android's package manager requires the incoming APK to have a strictly higher versionCode than the version already installed. The versionName (for example, "2.19") is a human-readable label only — Android ignores it during installation. If the new APK carries the same versionCode as the installed version, Android silently rejects the upgrade at the OS level. Esper's Activity Feed still shows success because the install command was delivered and accepted for processing — Esper does not independently confirm whether Android completed the installation.

Check the version codes in Esper Console

1. Navigate to Apps in the Esper Console.
2. Select the app that is not updating.
3. Open the Versions tab and compare the versionCode field for each uploaded APK. If two versions share the same versionCode, that is the cause of the failed upgrade.

Fix the version code and redeploy

1. Contact your development team and request a rebuilt APK with:
   • A versionCode strictly higher than the currently installed version — for example, if the installed APK has versionCode = 22, the new build must be 23 or higher.
   • An updated versionName for human readability — for example, 2.20.
   • Both values set in AndroidManifest.xml or build.gradle for Gradle-based projects.
2. Upload the corrected APK in the Esper Console via Apps → Add App → Upload APK.
3. Push the update to your devices via Apps → [Application Name] → [New Version] → Install/Update, then select the target group or individual devices and confirm.

Verify: Go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps and confirm the app's displayed version matches the new versionName. The Activity Feed for the device should show a successful install event within a few minutes of pushing the update.

If this doesn't resolve it

If the versionCode is correctly incremented but the device still does not update:

• Collect a bug report from the affected device via Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Bug Report and review the package manager logs for explicit installation rejection messages.
• If the app does not appear in the Esper Console after being manually copied to a device outside of Esper (for example, via file transfer), Android may have reclassified it as a Play Store app, removing it from the Esper Apps view. Remove the app from the device and reinstall it through Esper to bring it back under management.

If the issue persists, contact Esper Support with the following information:

• Tenant ID
• Affected device serial numbers
• App package name
• versionCode values for both the old and new APK
• An export of the Activity Feed for the affected devices

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Improved title: App update reports success but old version stays installed — fix version code mismatch

Still need help?

If the app version code hasn't incremented or you're still seeing installation failures despite successful event logs, submit a support ticket with your APK version code, the device's current app version, and relevant event log entries.