How to notify a user when new updates / version is released on the App Store?

Question

When my iPhone application start, I want to notify the user if there is a new updates / version released on App store.

Does anybody have any ideas or has anybody else achieved anything similar?

Thanks

Solution 1

Use Nick Lockwood's iVersion library. It's whole purpose is to notify the user when new updates are available.

iVersion is a library for dynamically checking for updates to Mac/iPhone App Store apps from within the application and notifying users about the new release. It can also notify users about new features in the app the first time they launch after an upgrade.

Purpose:

The Mac and iOS App Store update mechanism is somewhat cumbersome and disconnected from the apps themselves. Users often fail to notice when new versions of an app are released, and if they do notice, the App Store's "download all" option means that users often won't see the release notes for the new versions of each of their apps.

Whilst it is not permitted to update an App Store app from within the app itself, there is no reason why an app should not inform the user that the new release is ready, and direct them to the App Store to download the update.

And if your app is not on the App Store, either because it's an in-house/enterprise iOS app, or a Mac app delivered to customers outside of the store, you can't use the App Store update mechanism anyway.

iVersion is a simple, zero-config class to allow iPhone and Mac App Store apps to automatically check for updates and inform the user about new features.

iVersion automatically detects when the new version of an app is released on the App Store and informs the user with a helpful alert that links them directly to the app download page.

Or if your app is not on the store, iVersion lets you specify a remote plist file to check for new releases, and a download URL where users can get the latest release.

iVersion has an additional function, which is to tell users about important new features when they first run an app after downloading a new version.

These excerpts were taken from the Github page here, where you can download it. There is also a comprehensive tutorial on installing and configuring iVersion, so I recommend that you check it out.

Hope this helps!

Solution 2

To give a comprehensive answer. There are basically two ways you can go here. Depends on where you want to put the responsibility.

App checks for new versions on server

Using this approach, you would add a method to your app that is being called on every launch to compare the current version of the app (wherever you want to save that) with the version stored on the server. To achieve this, the server must implement a small web service that returns the latest version as a string or something else very simple. No rocket science there.

Server pushes new version information to app

This way you implement more code on the server-side to do a Push Notification to your app which informs the app about the new version. Advantage here is: Less client-side code and less effort to check, because the version check does not happen every time the app is started but instead only once the new version is actually released.

Solution 3

you can do a call to your server when the app starts. and that way check for a news item in your database, for example.

When the server gives you something. show it in an alert.

On the other hand, when there is an update in the appstore, doesn't the iphone give a warning?

Solution 4

APNS - Apple Push Notification System

Try it and google for ready server solutions.

Update: Okay, lets get it longer -

APNS is the best way to inform user about something new. It works with every state of the app - even when app closed - and it helps to avoid unnecessary requests to server. But you will need server to send pushes - if you can write it by yourself - it's nice, but the are some services to create backend for your app (no links - no ads, just google it).

To find out how to start with APNS on the client side and how to create all needed certificates and keys read this one

View more solutions

Comments

[beryllium]

Push notification, request/response from you server.

[GURU]

Just to clarify, after I upload a new version of my application in the App Store, will my user be prompt about the new version? It's automatically handle by apple?

[GURU]

Just to clarify, after I upload a new version of my application in the App Store, will my user be prompt about the new version? It's automatically handle by apple or I must use either one of the approach?

[LJ Wilson]

Option 2 here is the best choice. This will dramatically cut down on internet calls (to your server) and will use the built in APNS to do the heavy lifting for you. It would be better for the user (less calls to a remote web service = less bandwidth used and a speedier app) and better for you (less web requests to your web server = less chance that a crapload of requests impact the performance of other things that might be running on that box).

[Sebastian Wramba]

Great, so you mean the badge on the app store icon? This will be automatically done by the App Store. Please then be more specific in the future and accept answers from time to time to get people help you and won't waste time with giving answers you don't need.

[Sebastian Paduano]

Update: 23 Oct 2018 don't use this library cause is deprecaed