App Updates Debate

Discussions revolve around the tensions between developers pushing app updates to fix issues with old versions and users preferring control over updates, including complaints about forced upgrades, workarounds for legacy apps, and comparisons between iOS and Android update mechanisms.

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#3247
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Keywords

AFAIK OR WWDC US HN OS TV CDN UI LG update app updates apps old versions app store store versions updated version

Sample Comments

lima Apr 18, 2019 View on HN

App update cycles are slow so this would break old versions of his apps.

pmlnr Jan 30, 2021 View on HN

That's a feature, not a bug. Believe it or not, people don't like app/sw updates. Devs and money people do.

EasyMark Oct 15, 2025 View on HN

wasn't there a workaround for those apps that might not ever get updated? I thought I saw something on reddit. Some config change

klaustopher Dec 18, 2013 View on HN

Any sources for that? I stil haven't fount any info if you can update old versions of your app

kllrnohj May 12, 2023 View on HN

Seems extreme since app updates regularly still happen?

sudahtigabulan Jun 18, 2025 View on HN

I wish they somehow find a way to offer incremental updates, like Play Store.

guelo Feb 17, 2018 View on HN

Your complaint doesn't make much sense. These apps are pretty front ends for cloud databases, just like websites. You don't demand that websites serve you one version of javascript and then never update it again. These are not standalone local apps. They are client-server networked apps that need the client and server to stay in sync for them to work. Uber and Apple/Google have solved the problem you experienced by having the apps only be auto-updated while they're being char

mrec Oct 11, 2018 View on HN

Not all applications get updates.

asddubs May 18, 2022 View on HN

yes, but you have to manually update those apps

autoexec Oct 3, 2019 View on HN

Some apps (like Signal) force you to upgrade or they eventually stop working. It's a terrible practice.