Android enterprise APK version conflicts when using separate QA and Production app entriesSolved

Participant
Discussion
3 weeks ago Oct 01, 2026
We manage three Android enterprise APKs for Dev, QA, and Production in Hexnode. They have the same app name and package name, but are uploaded as separate app entries and assigned through different policies.
The problem is with versioning. We wanted to use different semantic versions for each environment while keeping the same build number/version code, so that moving a tablet from a QA policy back to a Production policy would not trigger another app install/update. However, the dashboard does not allow validating an APK when another app entry already uses the same build number.
Is there a way to keep the same version code across separate app entries, or a better way to push updates only to part of the fleet without affecting production devices?

Replies (1)

Marked SolutionPending Review
Hexnode Expert
3 weeks ago Oct 01, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review

Hexnode treats app updates and new app installations differently.

If you use the Replace APK option on an existing app entry, Hexnode treats the uploaded APK as an update to that same app entry. Devices that already have that app assigned through policy can then receive the updated APK.

If you upload the APK as a new app entry, Hexnode treats it as a separate application entry in the inventory, even if the package name and app name are the same. Because of this, when a device is moved from a QA policy to a Production policy, Hexnode sends an install command for the Production app entry. This can trigger an app install or update workflow on the device.

Hexnode does not allow multiple separate app entries with the exact same version code/build number because it can create versioning conflicts and repeated installation behavior. For Android APKs, the version code should be unique and incremented for newer builds. The version name is mostly display-oriented, while the version code is used to determine upgrade behavior.

Regards,
Mary Romero

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