Why Google In-app updates doesn't see any updates, when it's actually available?

Question

I met all google's requirements to test in-app updates, but it never worked.

1. I tried to repeat my successful experience with in-app reviews, so I just deployed app with in-app updates implementation to internal track in play store (I incremented versionCode). Installed release-keys signed app with lower versionCode then in play store - updates wasn't available.

2. Okay, I deployed app with versionCode 2 to Play Store. Installed it on device. Deployed version 3 to Play Store. After that updates wasn't available. But, in internal test page there are a link to play store, and I started to see there that update is available. Btw, in-app updates never worked out in running app. I only see these error in log:

I/in-app-update: available version: 0, is flexible allowed: false, is immediate allowed: false

E/Finsky: [722] rmn.a(7): In-app-update: Missing AppDetails! E/Finsky: [722] rmn.a(7): In-app-update: Missing AppDetails!

I checked update availability with next methods:

appUpdateInfo.availableVersionCode()
appUpdateInfo.isFlexibleUpdateAllowed()
appUpdateInfo.isImmediateUpdateAllowed()

Question: Do you know how to make this beautiful feature work?

UPDATE:

New issue: Now it sees update. But when I update (immediate) it restarts app, and update is still available (means that I see in-app-update dialog again)

UPDATE 2:

Okay, now it's updating. All I needed to do is to download app from play store, upload new ver app, and then accept the update. It's now working if you try to update release version built by yourself... maybe my local build is lacking some signature?

Answer 1

After I installed version 1 from Play Store and deployed version 2 to Play Store I wasn't able to see any updates immediately, but, after a night I opened application and saw this:

I/in-app-update: available version: 2, is flexible allowed: true, is immediate allowed: true

And it's working =)

So, I suppose, Play Store needs more time for it's internal mechanisms, even if deploy to "internal track" is immediate.

Answer 2

Make sure the app you have installed on your mobile is not an APK built with debug Keystore. The Play Store will show always as "Open" button instead of "Update" if the play store app certificate doesn't match with the installed app certificate.