in_app_update_me 1.1.3

A comprehensive Flutter plugin for in-app updates supporting both Android and iOS with direct update capabilities, flexible updates, and force update handling.

in_app_update_me

Flutter plugin for in-app updates on Android (Google Play In-App Updates API) and iOS (App Store version check + redirect). Supports immediate updates, flexible updates, and direct APK installs.

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Platform behaviour at a glance

Feature	Android	iOS
Check for update	Play Store API	iTunes lookup
Immediate update	Play overlay (blocks app)	Redirect to App Store
Flexible update	Background download via Play	itms-services:// OTA only
Direct install	Download APK + system installer	Open URL (enterprise OTA)

---

Installation

dependencies:
  in_app_update_me: ^1.1.2

---

Android setup

android/app/build.gradle — minimum SDK 21:

defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion 21
}

AndroidManifest.xml — add permissions:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES" />

For direct APK installs only — add FileProvider to AndroidManifest.xml:

<provider
    android:name="androidx.core.content.FileProvider"
    android:authorities="${applicationId}.fileprovider"
    android:exported="false"
    android:grantUriPermissions="true">
    <meta-data
        android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
        android:resource="@xml/file_paths" />
</provider>

Create android/app/src/main/res/xml/file_paths.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<paths>
    <external-files-path name="external_files" path="." />
</paths>

---

iOS setup

ios/Podfile — minimum iOS 11:

platform :ios, '11.0'

For enterprise/ad-hoc OTA flexible updates — add to your AppDelegate.swift so the system can wake the app when a background download finishes:

func application(_ application: UIApplication,
                 handleEventsForBackgroundURLSession identifier: String,
                 completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) {
    completionHandler()
}

No extra permissions or entitlements needed for App Store version checking.

---

Basic usage

import 'package:in_app_update_me/in_app_update_me.dart';

final updater = InAppUpdateMe();

// Initialize once (e.g. in initState)
updater.initialize(const UpdateConfig(useStore: true));

// Listen to update events
updater.setUpdateListener(DefaultUpdateListener(
  onProgress: (p) => print('$p%'),
  onDownloaded: () => print('ready to install'),
  onFailed: (e) => print('error: $e'),
  onResult: (r) => print('result: $r'),        // "success" | "cancelled" | "failed"
  onDownloadStarted: () => print('iOS: OTA started'),
  onInstallStarted: () => print('iOS: install started'),
));

// Check for update
final info = await updater.checkForUpdate();

if (info?.updateAvailable == true) {
  // Option A — immediate (Android: Play overlay / iOS: App Store)
  await updater.startImmediateUpdate();

  // Option B — flexible (Android: background Play download)
  //            (iOS: requires itms-services:// URL, see below)
  await updater.startFlexibleUpdate();
  // ... user keeps using the app ...
  await updater.completeFlexibleUpdate(); // trigger install
}

---

Config options

UpdateConfig(
  useStore: true,                          // true = Play Store / App Store
  forceUpdate: false,                      // show ForceUpdateDialog if true
  checkInterval: const Duration(hours: 6),
  showProgressDialog: true,
  minimumPriority: UpdatePriority.low,     // low | medium | high | critical
)

---

Force update

final info = await updater.checkForUpdate();

if (info != null && (info.shouldForceUpdate || config.forceUpdate)) {
  ForceUpdateDialog.show(
    context,
    info,
    const UpdateConfig(forceUpdate: true),
    onError: (e) => print(e),
  );
}

ForceUpdateDialog is non-dismissible. Use UpdateAvailableDialog for optional updates.

---

Direct APK install (Android sideloading)

Use this for enterprise Android apps distributed outside the Play Store.

final info = await updater.checkForUpdate(
  useStore: false,
  updateUrl: 'https://your-server.com/api/version',
  currentVersion: '1.2.0',
);

// The plugin always treats a reachable updateUrl as "update available".
// Your server should only serve the endpoint when an update exists.
if (info?.updateAvailable == true) {
  await updater.downloadAndInstallUpdate('https://your-server.com/app.apk');
}

---

iOS enterprise OTA (flexible updates)

iOS cannot install arbitrary IPA files from a file path. For enterprise/ad-hoc distribution, you need an itms-services:// URL pointing to your distribution manifest plist.

// Pass the itms-services URL — the plugin opens it directly via the OS.
await updater.startFlexibleUpdate(
  downloadUrl: 'itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=https://your-server.com/manifest.plist',
);

// When the user is ready to install:
await updater.completeFlexibleUpdate(); // opens the itms-services URL

For App Store apps, startFlexibleUpdate() and startImmediateUpdate() both redirect to the App Store.

---

Pre-built widgets

// Optional update prompt
UpdateAvailableDialog.show(context, info, config,
  onUpdateStarted: () {},
  onUpdateLater: () {},
  onError: (e) {},
);

// Mandatory update — cannot be dismissed
ForceUpdateDialog.show(context, info, config,
  onError: (e) {},
);

// Progress indicator
UpdateProgressDialog.show(context,
  progress: 60,
  message: 'Downloading...',
);

---

Listeners

Callback	Android	iOS	Description
onProgress(int)	✅	✅	Download progress 0–100
onDownloaded()	✅	✅	Download complete
onInstalled()	✅	–	Play update installed
onFailed(String)	✅	✅	Error message
onResult(String)	✅	–	"success"/"cancelled"/"failed" from Play dialog
onDownloadStarted()	–	✅	OTA download started
onInstallStarted()	–	✅	OTA install triggered

---

Gotchas

Android

• Play Store updates only work when the app is installed from the Play Store (not debug builds or sideloads). Use the Play Console internal testing track for testing.
• startFlexibleUpdate / startImmediateUpdate need checkForUpdate to have been called first, OR call them directly (the plugin initialises AppUpdateManager lazily).
• completeFlexibleUpdate must be called after onDownloaded fires, not immediately after startFlexibleUpdate.

iOS

• checkForUpdate hits the iTunes lookup API. If your app is not yet published on the App Store, it returns updateAvailable: false (not an error).
• Flexible updates on iOS require itms-services:// URLs (enterprise/ad-hoc only). Regular App Store apps have no background-download path — the user is redirected to the App Store.
• Background downloads require the handleEventsForBackgroundURLSession AppDelegate hook (see iOS setup above).

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License

MIT — see LICENSE.