Update a device owner managed android app silently (in kiosk mode)

Question

I have created a device owner app. It can turn an app installed already into Kiosk Mode, I am trying to update the kiosk app remotely, not from playstore, but it's not getting updated. Could anyone please help me with some pointers?

Is the app you want to update on Play? If yes you will need to use one of Google's API to manage updates. The Android Management API allows to set a [SystemUpdate](https://developers.google.com/android/management/reference/rest/v1/enterprises.policies#SystemUpdate) window to control when app and system updates happen. — Fred, Nov 10 '17 at 13:58
@Fred, thanks for the response, but I want to update it remotely. — rcde0, Nov 10 '17 at 14:00
Create your own server add your apk over there than download apk from your server and install using adb command but it needed root device. — Upendra Shah, Nov 10 '17 at 14:14
The Android Management API allows you to do everything remotely, it's a Cloud API. — Fred, Nov 10 '17 at 17:05
Okay, So there is another way to install app using intent but is need user interactions. — Upendra Shah, Nov 15 '17 at 05:49

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 08 '18 at 07:31

You have to host your apk on your server and then download it based on any conditions that you specify. You can then use this code to update your app.

public static boolean InstallAPK(Context context, String apk_file_name) {
        try {

            File apkfile = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getAbsolutePath() + File.separator + apk_file_name);
            if (apkfile.exists()) {

                FileInputStream in = new FileInputStream(apkfile);

                PackageInstaller packageInstaller = context.getPackageManager().getPackageInstaller();
                PackageInstaller.SessionParams params = new PackageInstaller.SessionParams(
                        PackageInstaller.SessionParams.MODE_FULL_INSTALL);
                params.setAppPackageName(context.getPackageName());
                // set params
                int sessionId = packageInstaller.createSession(params);
                PackageInstaller.Session session = packageInstaller.openSession(sessionId);
                OutputStream out = session.openWrite("COSU", 0, -1);
                byte[] buffer = new byte[65536];

                int c;
                while ((c = in.read(buffer)) != -1) {
                    out.write(buffer, 0, c);
                }
                session.fsync(out);
                in.close();
                out.close();
                session.commit(createIntentSender(context, sessionId));
                return true;
            } else
                return false;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            return false;
        }
    }

private static IntentSender createIntentSender(Context context, int sessionId) {
        PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
                context,
                sessionId,
                new Intent(ACTION_INSTALL_COMPLETE),
                0);
        return pendingIntent.getIntentSender();
    }

I tried that code it is not showing any error, it is returning true but apk is not installed? — Suresh Mewara, Jan 25 '19 at 11:58

Update a device owner managed android app silently (in kiosk mode)

1 Answers1