Google is launching a new tool that allows application developers to prompt their users to install updates to a new version.

Google is introducing a new tool that developers can use to prompt their users to update Android apps. Most updates on Android happen automatically, but in some cases apps are still stuck on an outdated version. This is possible, for example, if users refuse to carry out automatic updates. A new tool aims to help developers get such people to update.

Targeted message

The tool is included in the Play Console. You can then send a message to users that an update is available. Anyone who receives this notification can update with the click of a button. An app developer can send the notification based on the installed version of an app, the region a user is in, or the Android version running on a device running the app.

The notification in question appears as soon as someone opens the outdated app and fills the entire screen. Users can ignore the prompt, but it will reappear every time the application is fully restarted. Google points out that more than half of the time, the notification ensures that someone makes the necessary update to the latest version.

The option to send the notification can be found at the bottom of the Google Play Console Publications or the App Bundle Explorer-Page. There you can specify which versions of the app you want to send prompts for.