APK upload shows old version / duplicate entry in app list: verify Version Code and Version Name in AndroidManifest.xml before re-uploading

Android

When you upload an APK to Esper, the Esper Console may continue to display an older version or show duplicate app entries. This typically happens when the APK's version code hasn't been incremented in the AndroidManifest.xml file. Follow these steps to resolve the issue.

Before you begin

You'll need to verify the version code and version name in your APK's AndroidManifest.xml file. You can extract this information using the Android Asset Packaging Tool (aapt).

Run the following command to check your APK's version details:

aapt dump badging <your_app.apk> | grep -E "versionCode|versionName"

The output will show two values:

• versionCode — an integer that Android uses to determine if an APK is an upgrade
• versionName — a human-readable version string (like "3.7.2")

Android's package management system — and Esper — uses versionCode to determine whether an APK is newer than the currently installed version. If your new APK has the same or lower versionCode as the version already in your Esper tenant, Esper will treat it as the same or older build and won't flag it as an update.

Step 1: Verify your APK's version code

Use the aapt command above to extract your APK's version details. Compare the versionCode value to the version currently registered in your Esper tenant. The new APK's versionCode must be strictly greater than the existing version.

If the versionCode hasn't been incremented, you'll need to rebuild the APK with a higher version code before uploading to Esper.

Step 2: Rebuild the APK with an incremented version code

Contact your app developer and request a new build with both versionCode and versionName correctly incremented. For example:

• Old version: versionCode: 99, versionName: 3.7.0
• New version: versionCode: 100, versionName: 3.7.2

The APK must be properly signed with the same key as your previous releases. This is a required fix — Esper cannot work around an incorrectly versioned APK.

Step 3: Remove duplicate or stale app entries

If the app appears duplicated in your app list, delete all versions of that package from Esper before re-uploading:

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Apps & Content → Apps → Private Apps
2. Locate all entries for the affected app package
3. Delete every version entry for that package to fully clear it from the registry

Step 4: Upload the corrected APK

Once you have the corrected APK from your developer, upload it to Esper:

1. Navigate to Apps & Content → Apps → Private Apps → Upload APK
2. Select your corrected APK and complete the upload process

Step 5: Test on a single device first

Before deploying to all devices, test the new version on a single device:

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps
2. Trigger installation of the newly uploaded app version
3. Verify that the install completes without error

Step 6: Verify the installation

Confirm that the app is running the expected version on your test device:

• Check the app's version in device settings or the app's About screen
• Review the device's Activity Feed in the Esper Console for a successful install event
• Confirm that the versionName matches your expected version (e.g., "3.7.2")

Once you've verified the installation on your test device, you can deploy the app to the remaining devices.

Troubleshooting

Esper still shows the old version after re-upload:

Clear your browser cache and retry. If the issue persists across browsers, verify that your developer confirmed the versionCode increment. There may be a caching issue with the app registry.

Installation fails with an error on the device:

Check the exact error message in the Esper Console and the device's Activity Feed. One common cause is Google Play Protect blocking the installation. If you need to disable Play Protect:

1. Navigate to Compliance → Policies → Play Protect
2. Disable the setting and apply the policy to your device
3. Retry the app installation

Installation fails on one specific device but succeeds on others:

Try removing the app entirely from the device and re-pushing it:

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps
2. Select the app and click Uninstall
3. Once removed, push the new version to the device again

Still need help?

If you've verified that your APK's version code is correctly incremented, removed all duplicate entries, and the issue persists, contact Esper Support. Include the error message from the Esper Console and details about which devices are affected.