In Android Market , how frequently developers can/should update their apk files?

Question

What are the best practices on updating the apk files in the Android Market ? Is it ok to publish a new version as soon as i fix a minor glitch or should i consolidate a few bugs (if those or minor) and post it in a regular interval. Just released a game and got a extremely corner case crash issue and another minor glitch so i'm not sure if i release the fix right away.

Also are there any restrictions on the number of updates per time period ?

Even if there is no best practices as such could you (android developers) share how frequently you update your APK files for minor and major issues and what's your positive and negative experiences ?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Once a week is pretty optimal for generating new downloads and visibility. Based on my experiences and what I have read. Also weekends and holidays seem to generate more traffic.

I usually pack more changes into one update and release once in 1-2 weeks. Don't make updates if you have no real content. That may annoy users.

Read story #1: http://blog.edward-kim.com/an-android-success-story-13000month-sales-0
Read story #2: http://makingmoneywithandroid.com/2011/05/first-month-on-the-android-market/
People's experiences: Android Market - Time to wait between two updates
Market's "just in": http://www.google.bg/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=5b8adbb9052fc55c&hl=en
Analysis when during day is most downloads: http://nhenze.net/?p=735
Discussion about time of day: Best time/day to publish to Android Market?

Answer 2

Personally, I think it depends on the type of application. If you are coding a type of tool that obtains more and more functionality with each update, users probably won't mind the frequent updating. Same goes for an application that has too many major bugs.

If you're coding a game though, I think updates relating to style of gameplay should be few and far-between. Users get used to playing a certain way and could get annoyed if they have to keep adapting to what essentially is a different game every time they update. Level pack updates are of course a different story though (I think those don't come fast enough sometimes).

Remember though, even if an update goes out for an app, it doesn't mean the user will download it. I've seen too many friends with 22 updates available... < drop down clear >