Updating an Android App that uses In App Billing

Question

We have an Application which utilizes In App Billing. The problem that we're seeing is as follows:

When the versionCode of the App on the device is the same as the version code of the Application published in the Play Developer Console, Billing works fine.

When a build with a higher versionCode is uploaded to the Play Developer Console, In App Billing stops working on the App on the device (with a lower versionCode) saying that "The Application is not configured for Billing".

This is fine, when testing, but the question is - what is the behavior when the App is in the Google Play Store? When you replace the Application (to perform an update) does the Application that's in the wild (with a lower versionCode) stop working with In App Billing?

If so, what approach do people use to performing updates? Do you force the user to update before purchasing? Or is this problem only true prior to publishing?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Answer 1

As long as the "newer" apk that you upload is signed using the same key as the existing one then you shouldn't run into any problems.

I have just tested running my app with a previous version (version code is lower) and in app billing still works.

The caveat is that you must not delete the apk from the market, simply deactivate it.

But what you say about forcing updates, I do prompt the user to update when they open the app regardless.

You may have already read it, but here is the official info on multiple apks.