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Updating an existing build on Android device
If I want to make an update to my application whilst testing my build on an android device, do I have to uninstall the app from my device and re-install the new APK every time?
Or is there a way of getting it to update the installation on my device without doing a clean install each time?
Many thanks!
Jaz
Answer by meat5000 · Dec 08, 2013 at 05:17 PM
If it has the same Key it should not require uninstallation of the old apk. Of course it goes without saying that installation of the new apk is required.
There are situations in which Android will inform you of the old install and prompt to remove it for you.
Hi meat5000,
Thanks for the very prompt reply. Should I just overwrite the existing apk on my device with an apk of the same name and reinstall it?
Thanks,
Jaz
Yes that should work just fine. As long as you used the same key. For example, if you build the project on a different machine, they key will be different even though the application is the same, so will tell you to uninstall the old one first.
Personally, I do all this through Eclipse, which streamlines the process a lot.