Develop Reference

Getting "App Not Installed" message after attempting to install new version of Android app

I have an app that I developed wow like 8 to 10 years ago, but I have been updating it constantly at least once a year or so.
I'm actually in the process of completely redoing the app from scratch, and it's working great when I run it on my Android from my computer, but when I build it with a signing key on PhoneGap Build, I get the error message "App Not Installed." when I try to install the apk.
I've read through several other posts on the topic and I can attest:
I have plenty of storage space on the phone.
The new version number is larger than the old version number.
The signing key is the same as the original version.
I do not have any version of the app currently installed on my phone.
Any other ideas on what may be causing this?
I've removed all my plugins to take that out of the equation, but I still get the same error.
The original app was build with OnsenUI and Cordova.
The new app is build in Ionic 5.4.16, Cordova 9.0.0, and Android 8.1.0.
Something else I have noticed is that if I change the app id (com.company.appname) to anything else (i.e. com.company.appnamedev), it installs. I feel like this is very indicative of the issue, but I don't know what to do with it.
Very much appreciate any guidance to finding the problem.

Unfortunately this isn't going to be the answer many of you solution seekers are hoping for, but I got it to work. Based on Mike N.'s suggestion, I attempted to sign it locally and push it to my device with adb. In doing that, I was having trouble with remnants of two older plugins (onesignal and admob) that I had already removed from my config.xml file.
I'm really not sure why, but after I got rid of those old pieces in my package.json, I attempt to push it to phonegap build again and it was able to install. So, I guess the solution would be to make sure you have fully removed any plugins that may be causing problems.
Now the big trick - adding these pieces of functionality back in. But, the app compiles on PhoneGap Build and the signed file installs on my device now.
UPDATE: So, it turns out this is directly related to the one signal plugin I'm using. Still figuring out why, but when I added it back in, it works great locally, but when I attempt to build with PhoneGap Build and load it to my phone, I get the error "App Not Installed." At least I know what's causing it now.

I finally figured out the root of all my issues. As it turns out, I had another half baked app I started and had on my phone under a different name and app identifier, but I had temporarily dropped the same google-services.json and GoogleService-Info.plist files into that other app that I use for the one in question here.
After employing Mike N's suggestion, I got the error:
adb: failed to install mynewapp.apk: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_DUPLICATE_PERMISSION: Package com.company.new attempting to redeclare permission com.company.new.permission.RECEIVE_ADM_MESSAGE already owned by com.company.old]
I uninstalled the old app that should not have had those files to begin with and everything installs and works great now. Hopefully this helps someone else out who encounters the same bizarre situation.

You can use My APK application and installing an apk using My APK Installer (MAI).
If there is an error, it will show the detail (like duplicate permission, provider, mismatch signature,...)

Apk upload on Google Play developer console not working

Strange problem here. I have a deployed application on Google Play. From Google Play Developer Console I'm trying to update the current version of my app with the new apk (version code 22 vs version code 21), however, upload fails with a generic "Upload error" message. I already tried to launch lint command and it builds the project without any error. Does anybody have any idea? Thanks

By contacting the Google Support, they told us that the problem could be related to our DexGuard version. After updating the library to last version (8.1.23), we regenerated the apk and uploaded it without any problem :)

I have also faced same issue few days before. I have solved it by just changing version code and upload it again.
Now if you upload apk with version code 22, change it to 23 and upload it again, hopefully your issue will resolved.

getToken() failed. Status BAD_AUTHENTICATION error

I've found the following error when running my android application in android studio. app couldn't get installed on my device because of this error. Didn't find the solution :(
please help
Auth: [GoogleAccountDataServiceImpl] getToken() failed.
Status BAD_AUTHENTICATION,
Account: ,
App:com.android.vending,
Service: androidmarket com.google.android.gms.auth.be.account.b.d: Long live credential not
available.

I had the same issue what helped me was that I had wrong credentials in my google-services.json file and after getting a new file my problem was fixed.
in the process of resolving this issue I also updated my google play services but I do not think this is necessary .

I got this error when tried to install app directly from Android Studio.
It was due to certificate mismatch, since I used release certificate for setting up the app in Play Console, while Android Studio signs the app with debug certificate by default.
Installing app via adb resolved the error.
https://developers.google.com/games/services/android/quickstart#step_4_test_your_game
Make sure to run an APK that you exported and signed with a
certificate that matches one of the certificates you used during the
application setup in Google Play Console.

I have the same problem some days ago. I just compile my whole code in a new project and Problem Solved!!.
Don't know what was the real problem. There is an issue filed here, with no solution.

There are several reasons you can get that message:
The account you are trying to log on with needs to be re-authenticated on the phone (try a different account)
The gms:play-services version is out of date (needs to be 15+ as of Jan 2021)
Your app fingerprint is not the right one. You need one for dev builds, different one for prod -- which is different based on how you sign (do you have the final publish key, or does Play store re-sign with the final publish key?)
Follow the Google tutorial and get their stand-alone project, it should take 20 min, and check your setup there. If you are running it with all the right accounts it should work. Then go back to your app.
https://developers.google.com/identity/sign-in/android/start

I updated Google Play Services on my phone and stopped receiving the same error. I am importing com.google.android.gms:play-services-cast:9.6.1 and analytics:9.6.1. Not sure if the version running on the device was too low but problem is now resolved but not sure how to prevent this error for users running older versions of Google Play Services.

Tested the other solutions but nothing worked. Rebooted the device and error was gone.

If you using firebase server, As per the firebase updation if you give phone number authentication put your country code before contact number it is mendetory.
example - +91 9999998888

This happened to me, auth errors in ADB, among them:
android Warn Auth [GoogleAuthUtil] GoogleAuthUtil
Because, like mentioned above, I had a debug build running on phone previously. So I fully uninstalled the app on my phone, and the next [Build and Run] ran successfully.

Please try the App with new google credentials or even try creating the whole peoject on console og google play services if you have used it .

In my case it was a dependency version problem. I had to update the auth dependency for firebase to the latest one:
implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:17.0.0'

Here is my take towards this problem:
You may be using a single email to try and log in to google. It may be possible you might have changed the password of the particular email in the recent past. Make sure u remove your google-email from your phone/emulator. When u re-run your application, you will be asked to enter both email and password credentials.
Check if your credentials.json is still valid. Sometimes its possible that your client ID might be removed/corrupted if you have not used your android application for a long time. Make a new one and dont forget to copy-paste it in app folder of Android Project view.
PS: I am new to Android Studio and writing answers on stackoverflow in general. If you are reading this comment please let me know what improvements i can make while answering questions in the future.

I copied and ran the code in a different project that had priorly worked on simple DB operations of Firebase. Probably it already had the authentication files in place so launching the app was solved there

Mostly your token has gone bad. And needs a new one.
Go to project database > settings > General > download Json file and replace it with the one in the local project directory.

I fixed this problem with updating fingerprints (sha1 or sha256)

My problem was with Microsoft App Center.
We recently set our pipelines to send aab files to App Center, instead of apk files.
It seems that our bundle was resigned by App Center with some generated keystore. That's how App Center distributed apk files, even though our pipeline uploaded aab files.
In other words: even though our pipeline is using our own keystore to sign the aab bundle, in order to distribute through the App Center, after sending the aab to App Center, the App Center is creating universal apks with another generated keystore.
After rolling back our pipeline to send apk instead of aab, Google SignIn on our react-native app with firebase was working again.
"When you distribute Android Application Bundle (AAB), App Center generates a universal APK, signs it with a generated signing key, and distributes it to a device."
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/distribution/uploading

What does this Google Play APK publish error message mean?

I'm trying to publish a new version of my Android app to Google Play and get the following error?
This configuration cannot be published for the following reason(s):
Version 1 is not served to any device configuration: all devices that might receive version 1 would receive version 4
I don't understand it. What does it mean?

This happened to me when I published two APKs (versions 3 and then 4) in a short space of time. Clicking "Deactivate" on the dropdown next to version 3 appeared to fix it.
My guess is that this is a very-poorly-worded error message meaning something like "your original APK hasn't been published to all the update servers yet, so some of them may miss that version entirely". But it's a bit of a guess.

For some reason when you upload a new APK without immediately clicking "publish" (you probably clicked save draft the first time), Google thinks you want to publish BOTH apk at the same time.
This is usually needed when you have multiple APK for different configuration (say: a version for android 2.x and another for 3+ or a version for tablet and another for handset etc...)
However in your case you are just uploading an upgrade and you want it to replace your previous APK.
To solve:
Click on the Switch to Advanced Mode on the top right
Click on Action -> Move on the OLD APK and choose "Deactivate"
The error should go away and you should see your OLD apk in "OTHER APKS" and the new one ready to be published.
Just click Publish to make your change effective and wait for them to propagate.
The Google warning is missleading.
Hope this clarify it.

I have solved the same problem with my app. I must upload from version 1.0 to the version 2.0.
- I have uploaded the v2.0 in Beta.
- When it was uploaded, I have DEACTIVATED the v1.0 in the PROD.
- Next step was to MOVE the v2.0 to PROD from the BETA.
- Then, the PUBLISH button was activated to finish the process.
I hope it helps.!

The solution of #Chris is right. But what the message really means is:
version1 and version4 has the same configuration: same API level, same screen resolution... bascially everything in manifest...
So this means any device can install version can install version4, too.
Now everything is clear: since version4 has higher versionCode, every devices will recieve the version4 instead version1.
There's no meaning still put version1 "in production" anymore. Under no circumstance any device would recieve this version. So you should "deactivate" it.

This may be a hack, but you can workaround this by doing staged rollout to 1-50%, then increase it to 100%.
This case the error message does not prevent publishing your app and also you don't have to deactivate anything.

This is purely a guess but do you have a previous version uploaded? If so it might be that it's marketcode is set to something higher than your new build e.g. 4

I had a similar problem, but because my previous version had a lower maximum andorid api, I was not allowed to revert to previous version.
In the end for me it was a problem wit eclipse that was not saving the change to the manifext file. I restarted eclipse, saved my project, made an apk and then it worked. Maybe worth a try if the above answers fail.

I just switched to the basic view. Which automatically replaces the current version with the new version immediately. That is of corse not suitable for every app deployment scenario. But should be all right in most (simple) cases.

You can only have one APK in production at a time. Before uploading you must deactivate the current one. The same goes for alpha and beta test APKs combined - you can only have one APK published for testing.
I agree the wording of the error message is appalling!

I had the same issue, but I executed following command on my APK file
jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs Myapp.apk
then I uploaded the new APK on the play store and it published easily.

I guess the console is telling your that u have two versions supporting the same devices so there is no reason to be using both
solution: remove the older one...
OR
if ur older version supports specific devices, mark that and the console will accept it

I also received that problem when I uploaded the APK at the first time but I noticed that API level 18-17 when viewing APK details. Therefore, I added this code to AndroidManifest.xml to specify the maximum API level
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="18"
android:targetSdkVersion="23"
android:maxSdkVersion="23" />
After doing this, the problem is solved :)

in my case
an older version of apk was published in beta testing. while i was trying to update my app over already published app with new apk.
just moved my new apk to beta testing and unpublished the old apk from beta testing.
and then finally moved the new apk from beta to prod.

I had the same problem i just DEACTIVATE the old apk which was currently active and then upload new apk. IT SOLVED my Problem

To resolve the issue, do the following:
delete the new apk that is in the draft mode
clear the history cach of the browser or use other browser and re-upload the apk

I had the same issue, but I resolved by Block Lint Errors.
See the Lint Error page, right corner packager icon, click there and block package.
When you click for leaving lint error, the application make export singed application package.

it happened to me, when I published new APK, but accidentally closed browser window without finishing submission.

android LicenseValidator : Signature verification failed

I'm having a problem with the LVL in one app.
We have around 10 Apps in that we are using License check, but today only one App is not working. Its showing Signature Verification Failed error. All 10 apps are using the same licensing library, apart from one app all are working perfectly fine. Not getting why its not working. The Key I'm using is definitely correct!
The error I get in logcat is:
12-12 15:22:07.000: E/LicenseValidator(6783): Signature verification failed.
And the dontAllow() function of the LicenseCheckerCallback is run.
I'm testing the apps on a Nexus One.

1st, double check the BASE64_PUBLIC_KEY in the app against the Developer Console -> Development Tools -> Services & APIs Base-64 code.
2nd, do not change the versionCode in the gradle files until you are ready to "Build -> Generate Signed APK" and upload it to the store. Version codes that haven't been used in uploaded previous versions come back unlicensed.
3rd, make sure that the user, who is signed in on the device, does have a license (either real or tester).
4th, make sure that the internet connection works on the device.

The problem for me was that I changed the versionCode in my AndroidManifest file, but the new version was not know to the Google developer console. After uploading the new apk, the error disappeared.

This is kind of a bizarre solution but it worked for me:
I logged into the Android Developer Console, navigated to the Edit Profile screen, and reset my License Test Response to a different value. After saving, I reset the test response back to what it was before and saved again. After I did that, the error disappeared and everything worked fine.

In my experience, the test response stuff is very brittle. I've seen it reply with incorrect stuff, even when using StrictPolicy. This blog post mirrored my experience exactly:
Android License Test Response - Never Works