This article explains how to implement a mechanism that prompts users to update their app if they are using an outdated version. By adding a custom JavaScript code snippet to your website, you can ensure that users accessing your site through the app are notified to update their app to the latest version.
Overview
The provided JavaScript code checks the app version stored in the browser’s (app) localStorage. If the version is below a specified minimum required version, it displays a warning message along with a link to update the app.
Implementation Steps
- Access Your Website’s Code: Open the HTML file or the file that loads first in the app and where you want to add the update check.
- Insert the JavaScript Code: Copy and paste the following code snippet into your HTML file, preferably within the <head> or just before the closing </body> tag.
<script>
window.onload = function() {
const minimumRequiredVersionCode = <Minimum_App_Version_Code>; // Replace with your minimum version code
const updateAppLink = "<Url_To_Update_The_App>"; // Replace with your app update URL
const warningDiv = document.createElement("div");
// Apply styles
warningDiv.style.position = "fixed";
warningDiv.style.top = "0";
warningDiv.style.left = "0";
warningDiv.style.width = "100%";
warningDiv.style.height = "100%";
warningDiv.style.backgroundColor = "rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)";
warningDiv.style.color = "white";
warningDiv.style.display = "flex";
warningDiv.style.justifyContent = "center";
warningDiv.style.alignItems = "center";
warningDiv.style.zIndex = "1000";
warningDiv.style.textAlign = "center";
warningDiv.style.visibility = "hidden"; // Initially hidden
// Create the content for the warning div
const messageDiv = document.createElement("div");
messageDiv.innerHTML = `
<p>Your app version is outdated. Please update to the latest version.</p>
<a href="`+updateAppLink+`" style="color: yellow;">Update Now</a>
`;
// Append the message div to the warning div
warningDiv.appendChild(messageDiv);
// Append the warning div to the body
document.body.appendChild(warningDiv);
// Check localStorage for the app version code
const versionCode = localStorage.getItem("appilix_app_version_code");
if (versionCode !== null && parseInt(versionCode) < minimumRequiredVersionCode) {
warningDiv.style.visibility = "visible"; // Show the warning if version is less than the minimum required
}
};
</script>
Customization
- Minimum Required Version Code: Replace <Minimum_App_Version_Code> with the minimum required app version code. i.e. const minimumRequiredVersionCode = 5;
- Update Link: Replace <Url_To_Update_The_App> with the URL where users can download the latest version of your app. i.e. const updateAppLink = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app”;
By implementing this JavaScript code, you can effectively manage app version updates and encourage users to keep their applications up to date.