versionCode

versionCode is an integer value used in Android app packaging to identify a specific build of an application. It is defined in the app’s manifest and is not shown to users. Each new release to users should have a higher versionCode than the previous one, making it possible for the system and app stores to distinguish newer builds from older ones.

The primary purpose of versionCode is internal versioning. The Android system uses it to determine whether an update can be installed over an existing installation, and app distribution services like the Google Play Store use it to decide if an APK or app bundle represents a newer version. Unlike versionCode, the user-facing version number is versionName, which is a string such as "1.0" and is displayed to users.

VersionCode is commonly configured in the build system. In the Android Gradle Plugin, it is set in the defaultConfig block, for example: versionCode 1; versionName "1.0". Many teams automate versionCode increments in CI pipelines or derive them from the date or commit count to ensure monotonic increases without manual updates.

Best practices emphasize starting at a small integer (often 1) and increasing it with every release. Since versionCode is internal, it should be treated as a strictly increasing build identifier rather than a user-visible metric.