How to force upgrade an app to new version (that has live users)

Question

The tech team is rolling out an essential upgrade on our app. This includes essential security updates that cannot be procrastinated by users for later.

One way this will be prompted is when users launch the app. But there's a group of users that haven't closed the app. I'm considering how to push this prompt to upgrade to this group of users currently using the app without disrupting their current activity on the app.

e.g. if they were in the final payment step in the checkout and this update was forced onto them, their online shopping progress would be lost and they may not try again.

One solution is that the app will continuously check its current version as a background service, but would only prompt users when they are on non-critical flows on the app.

Would appreciate any feedback suggestions on this.

Answer 1

I can't seem to find a better answer than the one you already suggested

One solution is that the app will continuously check its current version as a background service, but would only prompt users when they are on non-critical flows on the app.

as it's highly advised not to cut any critical activity the user is on, and I don't find an upgrade necessary on the spot no matter how highly needed it is, you can easily leave the upgrade till he "checkout. ie.".

But note 2 things, the first one is that a background service is not that preferred by users and developers, I believe it will slow down the app. (Not to mention that if you faced a bug in that service, it will spam your firebase).

the other thing is that as mentioned by @locationunknown it needs to be prepared on a previous version let's say version 1.1.1, so then when you upgrade app to 2.0.0. the old version's service will check the version number and upgrade accordingly.

Answer 2

Android has in-app updates, Apple apps could check against the newest version available, but shouldn't check continuously (at app start and on some interval like once a week, maybe). A push notification would be a great way to at least urge users to update. But if you don't have any of that already shipped, you're SOL and just need to hope for the best and integrate something for the next time there's a critical hotfix.