Extension uninstalled without user knowledge and no auto-updates?

So I recently built an extension for the new tab page, something to help manage and control bookmarks on-page. Anyways, few things I have noticed, and wondering if you guys can help me with is,

I have the extension installed on my Firefox for testing purposes, from the store and from local. Here is what I have noticed.

  1. When I make a change to the extension and resubmit, it goes live, and new users can download the updated extension. What about existing users? I have auto-updates on firefox and extensions, yet the extension does not update if I already had it installed. Rebooting the browser, even waiting a day or so, nothing. I have to uninstall and readd it.

  2. I have noticed on multiple occasions the extension has been uninstalled from my browser, (not disabled, it doesn’t exist anymore). I have been making more updates lately, and wondering if it’s related to updating the extension where it just removes it from existing users. But as of right now, it happened twice, where the extension no longer exists on my browser and I have to re-install it. This does not make any sense.

I think I can help here.

  1. users are upgraded over time, there is some interval when it checks for update and it’s really slow OR/AND it’s actually being distributed to users gradually, not all at once, so it can take for sure more than one day.
    However to force update, just visit about:addons page and click Check for updates (from the gear icon menu), that always works, even seconds after the release.

  2. this is a bug I’ve noticed as well - if you have your extension installed from AMO and then you load temporary the same extension form file system, then… then actually I’m not sure but I know the result is that the extension is gone!
    So don’t load your extension as temporary from about:debugging, instead always use web-ext to test your extension.

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Thanks that makes sense. I’ll play around with it a little more.