Android: versionCode vs. versionName

When you are releasing an Android application you are faced with deciding of putting a versionCode and versionName. Both are usually found in your manifest. However, I have started to input them in my Gradle and more developers have started to do the same. But what the heck is the difference between the two.

Android:versionCode – An internal version number. Not visible to users.

Android:versionName – The version name shown to users.

My releases usually look as follows:

versionCode – 1
versionName – 1.0

Lets pretend I have just updated my app to the next version, it would look as follows:

versionCode – 2
versionName – 1.1

Full detailed explanation can be found under Android Deveoper Guide.