diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/util/FileUtil.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/util/FileUtil.java
index 3707564b5d7..c25125dee4a 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/util/FileUtil.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/util/FileUtil.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.tuple.Pair;
 
 import java.io.*;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -142,7 +143,11 @@ public final class FileUtil {
     } // writeAllDecks()
 
     public static String readFileToString(String filename) {
-    	return TextUtil.join(readFile(filename), "\n");
+    	return readFileToString(new File(filename));
+    }
+
+    public static String readFileToString(File file) {
+        return TextUtil.join(readFile(file), "\n");
     }
 
     public static List<String> readFile(final String filename) {
@@ -233,4 +238,23 @@ public final class FileUtil {
 
         return list;
     }
+
+    public static String readFileToString(final URL url) {
+        return TextUtil.join(readFile(url), "\n");
+    }
+
+    public static List<String> readFile(final URL url) {
+        List<String> lines = new ArrayList<String>();
+        try {
+            BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(url.openStream()));
+            String line;
+            while ((line = in.readLine()) != null) {
+                lines.add(line);
+            }
+        }
+        catch (Exception e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+        return lines;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/forge-gui-mobile/src/forge/assets/AssetsDownloader.java b/forge-gui-mobile/src/forge/assets/AssetsDownloader.java
index 7a2c5435d2f..d464c942be0 100644
--- a/forge-gui-mobile/src/forge/assets/AssetsDownloader.java
+++ b/forge-gui-mobile/src/forge/assets/AssetsDownloader.java
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import java.util.Enumeration;
 import java.util.zip.ZipEntry;
 import java.util.zip.ZipFile;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Application.ApplicationType;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Gdx;
 import com.esotericsoftware.minlog.Log;
@@ -23,15 +25,24 @@ import forge.properties.ForgeConstants;
 import forge.screens.SplashScreen;
 import forge.toolbox.FProgressBar;
 import forge.util.FileUtil;
-import forge.util.TextUtil;
 
 public class AssetsDownloader {
     //if not forge-gui-mobile-dev, check whether assets are up to date
     public static void checkForUpdates(final SplashScreen splashScreen) {
         if (Gdx.app.getType() == ApplicationType.Desktop) { return; }
 
-        //TODO see if app needs updating
-        //progressBar.setDescription("Checking for updates");
+        //set if app needs updating
+        /*splashScreen.getProgressBar().setDescription("Checking for updates...");
+        try {
+            URL versionUrl = new URL("http://cardforge.org/android/releases/forge/forge-gui-android/version.txt");
+            String version = FileUtil.readFileToString(versionUrl);
+            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(version) && !Forge.CURRENT_VERSION.equals(version)) {
+                
+            }
+        }
+        catch (Exception e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }*/
 
         //set if assets need updating
         File versionFile = new File(ForgeConstants.ASSETS_DIR + "version.txt");
@@ -44,7 +55,7 @@ public class AssetsDownloader {
                 Gdx.app.exit(); //can't continue if this fails
             }
         }
-        else if (Forge.CURRENT_VERSION.equals(TextUtil.join(FileUtil.readFile(versionFile), "\n")) && FSkin.getFontDir() != null) {
+        else if (Forge.CURRENT_VERSION.equals(FileUtil.readFileToString(versionFile)) && FSkin.getFontDir() != null) {
             return; //if version matches what had been previously saved and FSkin isn't requesting assets download, no need to download assets
         }