How remove an update of published application in Google Play Console

Question

I published the wrong update for an app on the play store by the new Play Developer Console.

I need to rollback my update, simply REMOVING it and re-publishing the previous version.

I cannot understand 2 things:

• how remove it from the apps versions menu
• re-publish the previous one

Adaiha

Your desperation is understandable. Shame to Google, that isn't able to halt previous release even 24 hours (!) after newer hotfix APK has been released. Which means, Google Play continues to deliver the faulty release APK. – Ransdell

Answer from Vaishakh actually works, pasting it here so that ppl don't miss this important information: Click on Create Release Like you release a new version, but instead of uploading an apk click "Add From Library", Here you will get all the previous versions of your app, select the version you want to rollback to, then release it after review button. – Cecilius

Answer 1

In previous versions of Google Developer Console this could be possible unpublising the last .apk and enable to production your desired version

but now it can´t be possible.

Note that rollbacks aren’t supported due to the app versioning requirements of the Android platform. If you need to rollback, consider launching a previous APK with a new version number. However, this practice should be used only as a last resort, as users will lose access to new features and your old app may not be forward-compatible with your server changes or data formats, so be sure to run alpha and beta tests of your updates.

You can see the previous releases but you can´t enable again:

You need to create and publish a new release with a consecutive versionCode.

Albertype

@ Jorgesys. Can you see my question ?#48564409 – Unstoppable

I'm using flutter, the problem is now SDK is updated and my apps crash with new build (i never change code for 3 months). any Idea ? – Furculum

and now we have to keep track of the store listing info as well, because we cannot rollback – Bayer

Another Answer in this thread by Vaishakh actually works: Click on Create Release Like you release a new version, but instead of uploading an apk click "Add From Library", Here you will get all the previous versions of your app, select the version you want to rollback to, then release it after review button. – Cecilius

Bear in mind, play store will take time to approve your new release. Even if its your old release repackaged. – Theodosia

Answer 2

Click on Create Release Like you release a new version, but instead of uploading an apk click "Add From Library", Here you will get all the previous versions of your app, select the version you want to rollback to, then release it after review button.

Beanfeast

I initially said it did not worked but it took time for google to update. Above steps work for my for me to rollback my alpha build. Thanks. – Envious

Worked for me too, earlier didn't work. Looks like Google pushed an update. Great – Cecilius

Does not work anymore - I get: you can't rollout this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added APKs. – Zygapophysis

Any one get any solution because its also showing me can't rollout this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade – Peltier

In the Play Console I'm almost in the finish line but at the "Review and release" step there's an error saying "You can't rollout this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added APKs." – Undergrown

this works and should be the accepted answer – Contagion

You can't roll out this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added app bundles. – Deville

I to got the "You can't roll out this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added app bundles." message, but went ahead anyway It's now saying prev build supported users: ~18000 Rolled back build supported users: ~21000 So by rolling back, i've gained 3k supported users, despite the warning telling me that barely any users would be supported. (21k -> 1.3k if i rolled back) – Siskind

Just tried this, seems to be working for now – Wicker

Tried this again today: "You can't roll out this release because it doesn't allow any existing users to upgrade to the newly added app bundles." – Wicker

Answer 3

Just build old app version with new versionCode and old versionName and publish it

Breathless

thanks for the answer :) yes, simply i uploaded a new apk with higher version code and name. This is a bad limitation. In my case the first one version was the 1.0.3 then i upload the (wrong apk) version 1.0.4. So finally i upload version 1.0.5 with the same code of the 1.0.4 one. – Adaiha

"just" is funny if you use version control an a build server. – Action

what if we don't have an old apk source? there @vaishakh reply is good – Powys

But would'nt a new version need a review from Google thus could potentially delay the release? – Succinct

Answer 4

Reviving this but for those that are looking for something similar but for Android App Bundles.

As it's not as clear cut as when doing it for .apk.

For .aab's you need to:

1. unpack the aab (its just a zip file)
2. decode the AndroidManifest which is a binary proto message with protoc
3. to decode you will need the .proto file found in the aapt2 tool
4. alter the version code/version name of the decoded android manifest
5. encode it again with protoc using the .proto files used in step 2
6. pack the aab with zip, but be careful not to zip directories and to remove the path prefix that you might add unwillingly
7. sign the zipped file with your store credentials, using jarsigner
8. zipalign the signed zipped file
9. rename the zipped, aligned and signed to the final .aab file

You can find these same steps in the following gist, with some of the work prepared before hand.

https://gist.github.com/Farious/e841ef85a8f4280e4f248ba8037ea2c0

I tried to avoid hardcoding anything and to bulletproof it, but it might not be yet.

Magnetograph

where's .proto file ? – Furculum

Needs some effort to dig into it, but it's the best possible solution in the current situation – Computerize

Answer 5

in play store classic version , developer console gives an option for Halt rollout . if you will Halt rollout than current version of your app , will be unpublished from play store. Now we can published new version of app.

Levileviable

Sounds like science fiction. :) If I already had a new version I wouldn't need to "unpublish" the current (faulty) app... – Action