Version 1.19 of F-Droid finally introduces support for the API introduced in Android 12, as spotted by Mishaal Rahman on X. This makes it possible to install updates fully in the background, without any user interaction required. Naturally, this only works for apps originally installed via F-Droid. With this change in place, F-Droid can be an even more viable alternative to the Play Store and other pre-installed apps for people who want to rely on the best open source Android apps.
In the past, F-Droid had to rely on a helper app with root access to install updates in the background without disturbing the user, the F-Droid Privileged Extension. With the app now using the unattended updates API, this is no longer necessary.
Google implemented that API so of course their store had it first. It also runs as a privileged system app though. (On GrapheneOS it doesnt need to)
F-Droid basic had this for quite a while.
Huge mistake by the Developers to not push F-Droid basic more. It is the store you should use?
I think its kind if funny that this article makes it sound like F-droid wasn't trying to make auto install a thing before this.
Its google that was holding it back. They still might if they randomly kill off the new api.
I updated to 1.19 and have two app updates listed as available. They are not updated automatically and there is no F-Droid setting for background updates that I can find. In order to install the two aforementioned updates I am required to first download them and then, for each one, I have to press install and then confirm on a popup.
To be fair, those updates were available before I updated F-Droid, so whatever mechanism that is supposed to be triggered may not have been because the updates were not new?
Nevertheless I am excited about the prospect, because updating my apps have been such a pain that I constantly procrastinate dealing with it. Sitting with the phone in front of me, clicking a few times, waiting, clicking a few times, waiting, then repeat... never leaving the app and making sure it doesn't fall asleep.. it is not a fun activity.
The updates / installs need confirmation the first time, that gives the app authority to update it I think
Doesn't seem to be working for me. I just saw that there were a bunch of stalled notifications (19 hours old, stalled as in stuck at downloading/ready to install) and when I go into the app it's just the same old offer to download and then after that I get the option to install each one separately.
No, different apps this time.
Edit: Oh I see, you meant that each app needs to be manually updated once first
On my phone, F-Droid occasionally pops up saying it has downloaded an update for itself. But when I tap it to install it, I get told the APK is corrupt. Will this finally fix that, I wonder? :P
I've had an app failing to update properly for about a month and after upgrading to this f-droid version it installed no problem.