Updeto

Creator and iOS Engineer · 2024 · 2 months · 1 min read

Shipped a lightweight update-check utility so apps can enforce minimum supported versions and keep users on stable releases.

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Overview

Built Updeto to solve a recurring release problem: users staying on outdated app versions that no longer match backend behavior or business rules.

Problem

Without a reliable force-update or soft-update strategy, support and product teams spend time handling avoidable issues caused by old app versions.

Constraints

  • Needed quick integration into existing iOS apps
  • Had to support both required updates and optional nudges
  • Needed a low-maintenance configuration model

Approach

Designed a small integration surface that checks current app version against remote rules and exposes clear update states for the app UI to handle.

Key Decisions

Separate update policy from app binaries

Reasoning:

Policy changes should not require shipping a new app version. Remote configuration keeps release control in the hands of product and operations teams.

Alternatives considered:
  • Hardcode minimum version values in each app release

Support both blocking and non-blocking update modes

Reasoning:

Different release issues require different responses, from gentle prompts to mandatory upgrade gates.

Tech Stack

  • Swift
  • iOS
  • Semantic Versioning

Result & Impact

  • Faster mitigation for outdated clients
    Release Safety
  • Minimal setup in existing apps
    Integration

Updeto gave teams a practical safeguard during releases by reducing risk from stale app versions and clarifying update behavior.

Learnings

  • Version policy is a product concern as much as an engineering concern
  • Small guardrails can remove recurring operational friction

Repository

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