diff --git a/FwLiteOnly.slnf b/FwLiteOnly.slnf
index 042128013a..8e38cfad8f 100644
--- a/FwLiteOnly.slnf
+++ b/FwLiteOnly.slnf
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwDataMiniLcmBridge.Tests\\FwDataMiniLcmBridge.Tests.csproj",
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwDataMiniLcmBridge\\FwDataMiniLcmBridge.csproj",
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwLiteMaui\\FwLiteMaui.csproj",
+      "backend\\FwLite\\FwLiteMaui.Tests\\FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj",
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwLiteProjectSync.Tests\\FwLiteProjectSync.Tests.csproj",
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwLiteProjectSync\\FwLiteProjectSync.csproj",
       "backend\\FwLite\\FwLiteShared\\FwLiteShared.csproj",
@@ -18,4 +19,4 @@
       "backend\\harmony\\src\\SIL.Harmony\\SIL.Harmony.csproj"
     ]
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/LexBox.sln b/LexBox.sln
index b1dd20410c..00cf46cbdc 100644
--- a/LexBox.sln
+++ b/LexBox.sln
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-
+
 Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
+#
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "SyncReverseProxy", "backend\SyncReverseProxy\SyncReverseProxy.csproj", "{5C589976-854A-4CE8-A661-A2E256AC2FC4}"
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "LexBoxApi", "backend\LexBoxApi\LexBoxApi.csproj", "{A95FC2AC-2B31-4B40-B4DA-6B951ECE3E28}"
@@ -21,8 +22,8 @@ Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Testing", "backend\Testing\
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "FixFwData", "backend\FixFwData\FixFwData.csproj", "{D7FC8B93-15A1-4D0B-9EAB-45596DB147F4}"
 EndProject
-	Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "FwLite", "FwLite", "{7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}"
-	EndProject
+Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "FwLite", "FwLite", "{7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}"
+EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "LfClassicData", "backend\LfClassicData\LfClassicData.csproj", "{E8BB768B-C3DC-4BE6-9B9F-82319E05AF86}"
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "MiniLcm", "backend\FwLite\MiniLcm\MiniLcm.csproj", "{6D4062DC-1B1A-4A24-9C61-0F6A18A39882}"
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "FwLiteShared", "backend\FwL
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "WebServiceDefaults", "backend\WebServiceDefaults\WebServiceDefaults.csproj", "{9B71BEF9-6017-4E30-81E0-EB8126B2CF02}"
 EndProject
+Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "FwLiteMaui.Tests", "backend\FwLite\FwLiteMaui.Tests\FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj", "{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409}"
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
@@ -157,6 +160,10 @@ Global
 		{9B71BEF9-6017-4E30-81E0-EB8126B2CF02}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
 		{9B71BEF9-6017-4E30-81E0-EB8126B2CF02}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
 		{9B71BEF9-6017-4E30-81E0-EB8126B2CF02}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
+		{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
+		{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
+		{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
+		{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
 		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
@@ -178,6 +185,7 @@ Global
 		{00AE5440-0E36-4488-935B-5B11301BA57D} = {7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}
 		{ECBA46AB-AF87-4D4D-9716-FD77264B817F} = {7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}
 		{73DC604C-C501-410D-B56B-0544AD6EF1C2} = {7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}
+		{5A277FCE-454F-4956-8C33-7D9726C4E409} = {7B6E21C4-5AF4-4505-B7D9-59A3886C5090}
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(ExtensibilityGlobals) = postSolution
 		SolutionGuid = {440AE83C-6DB0-4F18-B2C1-BCD33F0645B6}
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/AutoUpdateTests.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/AutoUpdateTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..70a1230ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/AutoUpdateTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using Moq;
+
+namespace FwLiteMaui.Tests;
+
+using FwLiteMaui;
+#if WINDOWS
+public class AutoUpdateTests
+{
+    private readonly AppUpdateService _appUpdateService;
+
+    public AutoUpdateTests()
+    {
+        var services = new ServiceCollection()
+            .AddFwLiteMauiServices(new ConfigurationManager(), Mock.Of<ILoggingBuilder>())
+            .AddSingleton(Mock.Of<IPreferences>())
+            .AddSingleton(Mock.Of<IConnectivity>())
+            .AddSingleton<AppUpdateService>()
+            .BuildServiceProvider();
+        _appUpdateService = services.GetRequiredService<AppUpdateService>();
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(1, false)]
+    [InlineData(15, false)]
+    [InlineData(22, true)]
+    [InlineData(26, true)]
+    [InlineData(36, true)]
+    [InlineData(46, true)]
+    public void ShouldCheckForUpdateAfterThreshold(int hoursInThefuture, bool shouldCheckForUpdate)
+    {
+
+    }
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98d470b170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui.Tests/FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
+    <IsTestProject>true</IsTestProject>
+    <!--        override the target framework set in Directory.Build.props, we will use what is defined in TargetFrameworks below instead-->
+    <TargetFramework/>
+    <TargetFrameworks>net9.0-android;net9.0-ios;net9.0-maccatalyst</TargetFrameworks>
+    <TargetFrameworks Condition="$([MSBuild]::IsOSPlatform('windows'))">$(TargetFrameworks);net9.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFrameworks>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector">
+      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
+      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
+    </PackageReference>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk"/>
+    <PackageReference Include="FluentAssertions"/>
+    <PackageReference Include="Moq" />
+    <PackageReference Include="xunit"/>
+    <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio">
+      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
+      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
+    </PackageReference> 
+    <PackageReference Include="GitHubActionsTestLogger">
+      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
+      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
+    </PackageReference>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection"/>
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <Using Include="Xunit"/>
+    <Using Include="FluentAssertions"/>
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\FwLiteMaui\FwLiteMaui.csproj"/>
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+</Project>
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMaui.csproj b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMaui.csproj
index 1e0308a51e..51c3a985c4 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMaui.csproj
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMaui.csproj
@@ -83,4 +83,9 @@
     <ProjectReference Include="..\FwDataMiniLcmBridge\FwDataMiniLcmBridge.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="..\FwLiteProjectSync\FwLiteProjectSync.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <InternalsVisibleTo Include="../FwLiteMaui.Tests/FwLiteMaui.Tests.csproj"/>
+  </ItemGroup>
+
 </Project>
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMauiKernel.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMauiKernel.cs
index 3efffeb309..9ecdb8a53f 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMauiKernel.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/FwLiteMauiKernel.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace FwLiteMaui;
 
 public static class FwLiteMauiKernel
 {
-    public static void AddFwLiteMauiServices(this IServiceCollection services,
+    public static IServiceCollection AddFwLiteMauiServices(this IServiceCollection services,
         ConfigurationManager configuration,
         ILoggingBuilder logging)
     {
@@ -116,14 +116,17 @@ public static void AddFwLiteMauiServices(this IServiceCollection services,
         });
 
         logging.AddFile(fwLiteMauiConfig.AppLogFilePath);
-        services.AddSingleton<IPreferences>(Preferences.Default);
-        services.AddSingleton<IVersionTracking>(VersionTracking.Default);
-        services.AddSingleton<IConnectivity>(Connectivity.Current);
+        //using callback otherwise tests try to evaluate the default/current property during setup.
+        //by using a callback, we can delay the evaluation until after the test setup, which lets us mock the service
+        services.AddSingleton<IPreferences>(_ => Preferences.Default);
+        services.AddSingleton<IVersionTracking>(_ => VersionTracking.Default);
+        services.AddSingleton<IConnectivity>(_ => Connectivity.Current);
         services.AddSingleton<ITroubleshootingService, MauiTroubleshootingService>();
         logging.AddConsole();
 #if DEBUG
         logging.AddDebug();
 #endif
+        return services;
     }
 
 #if WINDOWS
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/Platforms/Windows/AppUpdateService.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/Platforms/Windows/AppUpdateService.cs
index 6931fce33c..250b3c9549 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/Platforms/Windows/AppUpdateService.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteMaui/Platforms/Windows/AppUpdateService.cs
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ private async Task<ShouldUpdateResponse> ShouldUpdate()
         }
     }
 
-    private bool ShouldCheckForUpdate()
+    internal bool ShouldCheckForUpdate()
     {
         if (ValidPositiveEnvVarValues.Contains(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(ForceUpdateCheckEnvVar) ?? ""))
         {