MacroDroid Wiki

Trigger: App Install/Remove/Update

Page Discussion 
The App Install/Remove/Update trigger fires when an application is installed, removed, or updated on the device. This trigger can monitor all apps or specific applications that you select.

Options

  • Application Installed - Trigger fires when a new application is installed
  • Application Updated - Trigger fires when an existing application is updated
  • Application Removed - Trigger fires when an application is uninstalled

Application Selection

After choosing the event type, you can specify which applications to monitor:

  • Any Application - Trigger fires for any app that matches the selected event
  • Select Applications - Choose specific applications to monitor. Only events for the selected apps will trigger the macro.

When selecting specific applications, a searchable list of installed apps is shown. You can:

  • Search for apps by name
  • Show non-launchable apps using the checkbox
  • Select multiple applications

Magic Text

When this trigger is active, you can use magic text to access information about the app:

  • Package name of the installed/removed/updated application

Examples

Example 1: Log All App Installations 

Triggers

Application Installed (Any Application)
Actions

Write to File: Installed app: {package_name} at {hour:minute:second}

Example 2: Notify When Specific App Updates 

Triggers

Application Updated (WhatsApp)
Actions

Notification: WhatsApp has been updated

Notes

  • The trigger listens for the system broadcasts ACTION_PACKAGE_ADDED and ACTION_PACKAGE_REMOVED
  • MacroDroid itself is excluded from the app selection list since you cannot receive notifications for your own app
  • The trigger uses a shared receiver for efficiency when multiple macros use this trigger
  • When selecting specific apps, the previously selected apps are shown at the top of the list for convenience
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