I am working on an in-app update for an Android app that is not published on the Play Store. My app uses an internal SDK for the in-app update, it fetches a custom URL from a backend and opens it in the browser when an update is available.

For iOS, my colleague uses an itms-services link, which allows the app to update automatically without requiring manual installation steps. However, on Android, when I host the APK on a server and provide its direct URL, clicking the update button redirects to the browser, downloads the APK, and requires manual installation.

Is there an Android equivalent to itms-services that allows seamless updates without user intervention? Ideally, opening the update URL should directly install the APK instead of just downloading it.

Any guidance on best practices for handling non-Play Store updates would be appreciated!