How the Apps Update
MyWatchtower runs in several places — the web app, the iOS and Android apps, and kiosk tablets at unstaffed gates — and each stays current in its own way. Here's what to expect on each, and what (if anything) you need to do.
Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Regular releases arrive through the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app checks its version, and when the version on your phone is too old, it asks you to install the store update before continuing — so keep store updates installed when prompted.
Hotfixes in minutes. For urgent fixes, MyWatchtower can also deliver a corrected app bundle directly to installed apps, without waiting for an app store release — an emergency fix can reach phones in minutes. Hotfixes are picked up and applied automatically when you open the app, and applying one never interrupts an active call. There's nothing for you to do.
The web app
The web app updates with each deployment — there's nothing to install. If you have a tab open when a newer build goes live, a banner appears offering to Refresh or Later.
- Refresh reloads the page onto the newest build in one click, in well under a second. There is no waiting screen.
- Later keeps you on the build you have. The banner does not return for that version; it comes back when the next one publishes.
If a page fails to load from an older build after a deployment, reload it once. A page you open while offline still loads from the copy the browser kept.
Kiosk tablets
Kiosks at unstaffed gates are paired, managed devices running a dedicated build, set up and maintained through JEKA — community staff don't install updates on them. If a kiosk seems out of date or is misbehaving, contact support.
See also
For choosing between the platforms in the first place, see "Web vs. Native Applications: Which MyWatchtower Experience Is Right for You?".
Need help?
Use the Contact Support form in the app, or contact your community's management office.