Version 1.0 is still out there
You renamed a field in your and shipped version 1.1. The website works. A third of your app users now see a blank screen.
This answers: Why did my API change break old app versions? No coding needed. 3 quick decisions.
- How a request travels
- Keeping it running
Checking your access…
Why did my API change break old app versions?
Phone apps update only when each user chooses to, so older versions keep calling your server for months. Renaming or removing a field breaks every version that still reads it. Add new fields alongside old ones, remove old ones only when almost nobody uses those versions, and send the app version with each request.
Breaks at Your server: Renamed field breaks older versions
Why AI tools write this bug
AI tools change the server and the app code together in one edit, which works perfectly for the newest version and silently breaks every copy already installed.
How to fix it
- Send both the old and new field names for now.
3 more steps, and a prompt that checks your own app for this bug. Part of Pro.
UnlockCommon questions
- Can I force everyone to update my app?
- Not through the stores. You can only show an 'update required' screen from inside your app, and only in versions that already contain that check.