Updating CommCare Application on Android

Owned by Arti Sahu
Last updated: Jun 20, 2024
3 min read

Updating the CommCare application on Android involves installing newer versions of the app to benefit from bug fixes, new features, and security enhancements.

Here are the two main ways to update the CommCare application on your Android device.

1. Online Update

This option is the normal App update workflow and is recommended in most scenarios. Your device will need to have a network/internet connection to update this way.

  1. Log into CommCare (it is not possible to update CommCare when using Demo mode)

  2. From the CommCare home screen, open the Settings menu by pressing the three dots in the upper right-hand corner (or your phone's Settings button)

  3. Select Update App and CommCare will look for a new version and download it if available. Click on the latest version of the app and download it. The version of the app that is downloaded will be the most recent starred build.

  4. When the download is complete, select the green update button to complete the upgrade process.

  5. Once the app is updated, you will see a message that reads, App update was successful, and you can log in again to start using the new app version.

Online Update an App.gif
How to update an app online


Here is another video that explains the Online Update method. Update CommCare on Android

2. Offline Update (Alternative Option)

This option is primarily useful in scenarios where you know that you will not have a network connection when performing the update. Note that you WILL still need a connection to download the .ccz file initially (step 3 below). This option may also be useful if you want to update to a specific version that is not the latest starred build or (for advanced users) to update to a .ccz that you have edited locally.

  1. Connect your phone to the computer. Open the phone's SD card. (Sometimes phones will have two SD card folders - one in internal memory and one that is the actual physical SD card. In this case, try using the internal SD card first).

  2. Make sure you have a file browser on your phone (This should come automatically with all devices). If you do not, you can download one from the Play Store (ex. Amaze File Explorer). 

  3. On HQ, go to the Deploy page for your app, find the build you want to update to, and then press the "Deploy" button for that build.

  4. Select "Offline Install" on the Download to Android menu that appears, and then click to download the file "CommCare.ccz". 

  5. Copy the downloaded .ccz file to your phone. 

  6. From the CommCare home screen, open the settings menu by pressing the three dots in the upper right-hand corner (or your phone's Settings button)

  7. Select Update App. If you do not have a connection, the app update screen will say, No network connectivity. However, you can open the settings menu on that screen (the three dots in the upper right-hand corner) and then select Offline Update.

  8. Choose the .ccz file that you just downloaded. If you cannot find the file, you may need to tell your device to show internal storage or display advanced devices, which should be in the settings drop-down when you open the initial file selection from CommCare. If this doesn't work, install Amaze File Explorer and select the file that way.

  9. Select Update App once more to start the update process.