How to Update Your Appery App on Google Play

Some Appery.io users who generated an .aab file with Appery.io and are trying to upload this to Google Play store as an update, may encounter this error:

Before we help you tackle this issue, here is a bit of theory behind it:

As of August 2021, there has been a significant shift in the deployment process for developers targeting the Google Play platform. The conventional .apk (Android Package) format, which has been the standard for Android applications, is no longer accepted by the Google Play store for publishing new apps. In its place, Google has mandated the use of the Android App Bundle (.aab) for all new apps, a publishing format that streamlines the app signing process for developers.

This transition to the .aab format can have direct implications if you’re attempting to update your existing Appery.io app on Google Play that was originally published using an .apk file. 

Below, we share some simple steps you can take to address the issue of updating your existing Appery.io app on Google Play:

  1. Begin by downloading the certificate archive and extracting it.
  2. Afterwards, navigate to the Google Play Developer Console and proceed to Release > Setup > App Signing. If necessary, agree to the Terms of Service for App Signing.
  3. Choose the option Use existing app signing key from Java KeyStore, then follow the subsequent steps:

4. Obtain the PEPK tool and launch a terminal window.

5. Enter the command as follows, replacing the placeholders with your actual file paths, alias, and Google encryption key:

java -jar PATH_TO_PEPK_TOOL --keystore=PATH_TO_YOUR_KEYSTORE --alias=YOUR_ALIAS --output=PATH_TO_YOUR_OUTPUT_FILE --encryptionkey=YOUR_GOOGLE_ENCRYPTION_KEY

✋ Caution: Ensure the accuracy of the paths for the PEPK tool, keystore, output file, as well as the correct alias and Google encryption key.

For instance, if your setup has the specified names, your command might look like the following:

java -jar pepk.jar --keystore=apperyio.project --alias=apperyio.project --output=encrypted_private_key_path --encryptionkey=eb10fe8f7c7c9df715022017b00c6471f8ba8170b13049a11e6c09ffe3056a104a3bbe4ac5a955f4ba4fe93fc8cef27558a3eb9d2a529a2092761fb833b656cd48b9de6a

6. At this moment, the system will prompt you for a password. It is advisable to reuse your current keystore password. So, input the keystore password (for instance, ‘apperyio.project‘) followed by the key password (again, potentially ‘apperyio.project’).

7. With your passwords entered, you can now upload the generated App Bundle (.aab) file to Google Play by clicking Upload private key:

8. Finally, click Save.

Congratulations: your updated app is up and running!

Happy Tnanksgiving from all of us, at Appery.io!

September release $a, $v, Appery Helper and Global Functions

Today we are pleased to announce the September release of appery.io with new alias $a of Appery helper, global variable $v and global functions!

Let’s look at what’s new

 

$a

‘$a’ is an alias for the Appery helper ‘Apperyio’. Now, instead of writing:

this.Apperyio.navigateTo("Screen1");

you can use a much shorter form:

this.$a.navigateTo("Screen1");

 

$v

‘$v’ is an alias for global variables that were previously accessed through Apperyio.vars.

$v is a place for storing any data as ‘global’. For example, to transfer data between screens.

this.$v.myData = 12345;
this.$v.userInfo = {id: 123, name: 'Joe'};

For more detailed information about ‘$v’, you can refer to our documentation https://docs.appery.io/docs/6-model-and-storage#apperyio-global-variable

 

Appery Helper

The list of functions and properties for the Appery helper ‘$a’ has been significantly expanded. This expansion greatly simplifies the invocation of the most commonly used operations. For example, if you need to display a modal window and pass parameters to it, this can now be achieved in a single line of code:

let data = await this.$a.modal("EditUser", {name: 'john'});

If you need to display a loading indicator, a simple call will do:

await this.$a.showLoading();

And if you need to perform a GET request:

let res = await this.$a.get("https://mydomain.com/user/12345");

You can explore the full list of available functions on this page: https://docs.appery.io/reference/common-methods-and-properties

 

Global Functions

Global functions have been added. Now, in the Functions section under Modal and Storage, you can define a function, for example ‘sum’, which will be accessible on all screens, custom components, services, etc., using this.$v.sum()

 

For more detailed information about global functions, you can refer to our documentation https://docs.appery.io/docs/6-model-and-storage#global-functions

 

We believe this new feature will be of great value to our users. We appreciate your continued use of Appery.io, and we wish you a happy developing!

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

Support for Android 13, API level 33

We’re excited to announce the introduction of the latest Appery.io release, which includes support for Android 13 (API level 33).

While many of the Appery projects were upgraded automatically, we aimed to keep manual application changes to a minimum to ensure a smooth transition for all users.
– Please ensure that you have not manually modified the config.xml file in the source tab. If any modifications were made to this file, kindly follow these steps: Remove the file and execute the “Undo all source changes” operation for the CORDOVA folder.

 

– Additionally, for some users, it may be necessary to access the App Settings. From there, navigate to Cordova Config, then proceed to the Android tab. Ensure that the property “GradlePluginKotlinVersion” is present with the value “1.6.20” (refer to the provided image for visual guidance). If this property is missing, kindly add it manually.

 

We believe this new feature will be of great value to our users. We appreciate your continued use of Appery.io, and we wish you a happy developing!

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

Get Ready To Build Better Apps With Appery.io’s Latest Release: A Sneak Peek Inside!

Greetings, Appery.io users!

We have some fantastic news to share with you – our latest release is now live, and it’s packed with exciting new features to enhance your App Builder experience! Here’s what’s in store for you:

Creating a new app has never been easier! With updated app creation options all in one place, new users can now quickly and easily decide what type of app they want to create. Plus, for added convenience, we’ve moved the link for restoring from backup right under the Create new app button:

Say goodbye to the hassle of certificate generation when publishing your apps to custom domains. Appery.io now automatically generates certificates, and when you’re done, you can share your app by copying the link or selecting from several social sharing options:

 

Save time and effort by adding necessary styles directly under the PROPERTIES > Styles tab, making styling your app easier than ever before:

 

Our improved modal window experience means you can now create responsive apps that automatically resize their modal windows. This is especially beneficial for tablet and desktop apps.

Writing custom code is a breeze with our new code snippets. We’ve added more snippets, including Navigate forward, Navigate back, Navigate root, and Get query parameter, to streamline your coding process.

We’ve also introduced a new action called Mark all as touch, which will allow you to fine-tune the validation flow:

 

Our expanded UI components arsenal now includes more properties like Truncate and Vertical Align, making them even more useful. Plus, you can now independently edit child components’ properties for wrapping components like Input and Checkbox, giving you more flexibility when designing your app’s UI. One of the added app styling options is expanding our standard icon toolset selection with Material Symbols library from Google with over 2,875 glyphs in a single font file with a wide range of design variants:

 

Finally, this release is all about helpers! We’ve added a CODE tab helper to assist you in adding necessary functions, and a helper under the Databases tab to simplify working with binary data. Check out the Files collection CREATE tab to see how quickly you can create binary files and pass your data as Base64.

We are thrilled to bring you these new features and hope that they make your Appery.io experience even better. Thank you for choosing Appery.io – Happy developing!

Your Appery.io Team

We Released New Template: Facial Recognition

We are thrilled to unveil the latest addition to Appery.io‘s lineup of powerful app-building tools – our Facial Recognition App Template! This comprehensive and user-friendly template streamlines the process of creating a camera-based facial identification application, making it ideal for businesses and organizations that require this advanced level of security and attendance tracking.

With this template, tracking employees or students has never been easier – and the benefits don’t stop there. The app is also designed to help detect unauthorized access to sensitive areas and office security perimeters, all while collecting valuable data that can be used for marketing and sales purposes.

And the best part? You can create your app from the template in just a few minutes and customize it to suit your needs. We even have instructions to guide you through the customization process, so you’ll be up and running in no time. Check out this section to find out more.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your organization’s security measures or simply streamline your attendance tracking processes, the Facial Recognition App Template from Appery.io is the perfect solution. Try it out today and experience the power and convenience of this cutting-edge app-building tool for yourself!

Unlock Your App Building Potential with the Updated Appery.io Education Guide!

Hey there, fellow app builders! We’ve got some exciting news for you – we’ve just updated our Appery.io Education Guide to help you take your app-building skills to the next level.

At Appery.io, we care about our users and want to make sure you have the best experience possible. That’s why we’ve invested in upgrading our Education Guide, and now it’s your turn to invest in your app-building potential.

Our Education Guide is packed with short, yet detailed, videos that are organized into four units: IntroAdvanced EditorApp Logic, and Appery Database. These videos are designed to teach you everything you need to know about developing with Appery.io and are now fully updated to correspond with the latest changes we’ve made to our product.

We know that staying on top of product updates can be tough, but we also know that a good educational course on a software product is one that keeps up with the changes, no matter how difficult it may be. We’ve made sure to include all of the latest features and UI changes in our updated Appery.io Education Guide so that you can rest assured that what you see in the tutorial videos is exactly what you’ll get when you start building your first-ever mobile app.

So what are you waiting for? Check out our updated Education Guide and take your app-building skills to the next level!

 

Updated Restaurant App Template Is Here! Try It!

 

Last October, we released the Restaurant App, which proved to be a huge success. We, therefore, decided to improve and enhance it so that our users were able to get the best results out of a combination of low-code development and a professionally-looking restaurant app. Here’s your chance to see for yourself.

Our updated Restaurant App template includes ready-to-use services and an easy-to-use UI. The template can be recreated within your Appery.io account in just a few simple steps:

  1. Log in to your account, open the Apps tab, and click Create new app.
  2. Select Templates > Restaurant App and hit the Create button:

 

In a moment, you can start testing the app that now features a new stunning UI, the cart, and the internationalization option:

 

The template uses and demonstrates Ionic, Appery.io Database, and Appery.io Server Code. Also, being a template, it offers a great number of customization options so that any small restaurant business owner could adapt it to his business needs and personal preferences.

Those who are only beginning their Appery.io journey and are unfamiliar with our platform can find detailed instructions in an accompanying document.

Please rest assured that you are the creator and you are the only owner of this application (actually, like any other app created with Appery.io).
For more details, you can check our Copyright, Trademark, and Content Ownership section here.

The article also explains how to export your custom restaurant application and publish it so that it can be accessed from any browser on any mobile device.

Please check this link to see what your customized published app can look like.

Please take a moment to try our updated template out and…

Bon appétit!

We updated our ChatGPT Template. What’s new?

It’s not been long since Appery.io announced releasing the revolutionary ChatGPT Template and we are super excited today to let you know that our template has been upgraded!

Several days ago, a new ChatGPT model family was released, named gpt-3.5-turbo. The model is similar to the model used in the ChatGPT product and accessed with a new endpoint for interacting with ChatGPT models.

We, at Appery.io, made this enhancement available to our users and updated the template to keep up with the latest ChatGPT model from its creator, OpenAI!

The updated ChatGPT App template works out of the box like its predecessor did before and allows the creation of a bot app based on the OpenAI ChatGPT technology that already supports the new ChatGPT Turbo model.

Please check our template to enjoy the technology even more! It’s simple to get and free to try:

  1. Sign up for free (if you haven’t yet).
  2. Create a new app from under the Templates tab:

3. Enter your OpenAI API Key and you are ready to test the app:

Happy developing! And stay tuned – more templates are coming soon!

Meet New Template from Appery.io: Offline Map App

We are happy to present another new template, Offline Map App, that is designed to help with creating a mobile app that will allow downloading maps with further using them offline.

The template is made simple and easy to use. To create it, you will only need to log in to your Appery.io account (if you are new to Appery.io, here is the link where you can sign up to try us for free), and create your own offline map by selecting the Offline Map App under the Templates tab:

  

In a moment, you are almost ready for testing the app on your device (this app is operating with a native API, so it cannot be tested in the browser):

But if you want to go further and customize it (it is actually a template and was created for customizing), here are the detailed instructions that explain how to do it.

As a result, you can end up with a unique and attractive UI that will definitely stand out from all similar apps out there:

Great News: “Autoupdate” Plug-in is added to Appery.io Apps

There is another great news we are happy to share with you today: the Autoupdate plug-in has been added to all Appery.io apps and is ready to be used.

Adding this plug-in is simple and requires zero effort on your part to set it up. But when added, it just gets the job done. 

The idea behind it is as simple as it can possibly be:

  • You add the plug-in to your app and publish it so that your users can install it on their devices.
  • Next time you need to make changes to your app you just make them and push the app updates.
  • With the next app run on the device, the plug-in automatically detects there is a new update on the server and lets the end user make decisions on whether to download it from the server and then install it on their device or postpone this action:
Autoupdate plug-in

Autoupdate plug-in on the device

Please check out our document here to learn how to work with the Autoupdate plug-in.