# Realtime data update in app **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions about Thunkable X\ **Tags:** beginner\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631 "2020-11-08T14:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![isazaly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/isazaly/32/86349_2.png) [@isazaly](https://community.thunkable.com/u/isazaly)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/1 "2020-11-08T14:26:52Z")
If I am using Airtable or Google Sheet as an external database, can I update the database in realtime, without the need to republishing and updating the apps to the Play Store, so users get the most current data - example Live Sports Update? ---
**Author:** ![jared](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/jared/32/138473_2.png) [@jared](https://community.thunkable.com/u/jared)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/2 "2020-11-08T15:05:46Z")
Not in real-time but you can produce logic that checks for updates using a recursive function. Then if there are updates in the DB, the app updates too. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Rogulla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@Michael\_Rogulla](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Michael_Rogulla)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/3 "2020-11-08T23:36:13Z")
Hi @isazaly, you can store your data in an external database and display it in your app, without changing it in the stores. The question is how does your app know that there is new data: - thunkable has no event for airtable or google sheets. That means your app has to look at regular intervals (depends on your app: in minutes? hours? days?) if something has changed - but if you store your data in firebase then there is an event (see in blocks: “variables -\> when … initializes or changes”). You need an account in firebase and then you enter the firebase API key and firebase data URL in your apps settings. Then your cloud-type variables in thunkable trigger an event when they change, in realtime. ---
**Author:** ![isazaly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/isazaly/32/86349_2.png) [@isazaly](https://community.thunkable.com/u/isazaly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/4 "2020-11-09T03:35:31Z")
Thank you Michael. I will look into Firebase, although I am still a newbie 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drted](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/drted/32/92694_2.png) [@drted](https://community.thunkable.com/u/drted)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 9:36am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/5 "2020-11-09T09:36:19Z")
I use the screen start event. Every time the app opens, I check if it is online, then reload the data. ---
**Author:** ![isazaly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/isazaly/32/86349_2.png) [@isazaly](https://community.thunkable.com/u/isazaly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/6 "2020-11-09T14:10:04Z")
![Screenshot 2020-11-09 at 10.09.12 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/7/4/740046fb1e130405f5e597f348b10c7187c500ae.png) That works! Thanks @drted!!! ---
**Author:** ![ioannis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/ioannis/32/146956_2.png) [@ioannis](https://community.thunkable.com/u/ioannis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/realtime-data-update-in-app/960631/7 "2024-11-08T12:21:46Z")