Force updating the app

versioning

Following is the strategy to force update the user. 

Just like watsapp, how it's forcefully asking the user to update the app or app becomes unusable may be it for security reasons
or we want the users to experience new features. 

There will be api called /settings which will give the version number {version: 1.5} . This is basically the minimum version
supported by us

Now the frontend Android app, will compare the current version of the app it's running. Suppose 1.6, now that 1.6 is greater than
1.5. The app is good to go, and it will function normally. 

But say, the version number is 1.4. Now 1.4 < 1.5, the app should take the user to a screen saying, please update the app. 

Is this a good approach? Can anyone suggest me if there are any best practices around it! 

Thanks

I would recommend a concept called content negotiation. Do remember HTTP is stateless. Therefor every request should have the same treatment. There is a great debate about API's and versioning. However many of the greatest minds overcomplicate their API. For instance with content negotiation one can default a version to application/json. For a version bump there is a spec that allows characters after the ; if used within the content type.

Here is an in depth document on the matter. Worth the read even through the comments.

https://www.troyhunt.com/your-api-versioning-is-wrong-which-is
A link to Content Negotiation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_negotiation
And a link to the Accept header spec https://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html#sec14.1