Guides
BeeTV Updates: How Versioning Works Without a Store
Why unofficial apps have no reliable update channel, what in-app update prompts really do, and the risks of self-updaters.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by the editorial team
Update behaviour is one of the clearest differences between store-distributed software and unofficial packages, and it is a recurring source of confusion.
No canonical update channel
Play, the Amazon Appstore and the App Store all guarantee that an update comes from the same signing identity as the installed app. Outside those systems there is no such guarantee. An update prompt in an unofficial app points wherever its configuration says, and that destination can change.
Why in-app update prompts are risky
- They require the install-from-unknown-sources permission to remain enabled.
- The endpoint is not verifiable and can be replaced by whoever controls the domain.
- Expired domains get re-registered by unrelated parties, which has happened repeatedly in this space.
Version confusion
Because multiple parties publish under the same name, version numbers do not form a single sequence. A 'newer' number from a different distributor is not necessarily newer code, and may be an older build with additions.
What a healthy update story looks like
Automatic background updates, signature continuity, published release notes and a rollback path. Every licensed streaming app on every platform provides these by default.