INSTALL_FAILED_DUPLICATE_PERMISSION… C2D_MESSAGE

Question

I am using Google notifications in my app, and until now I have done below in the manifest:

<!-- GCM -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS" /> <!-- GCM requires a Google account. -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" /> <!-- Keeps the processor from sleeping when a message is received. --> 
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE" /> <!-- This app has permission to register and receive data message. --> 

<!-- Creates a custom permission so only this app can receive its messages. NOTE: APP_PACKAGE.permission.C2D_MESSAGE -->   
<permission android:name="com.myapp.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" android:protectionLevel="signature" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.myapp.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />    
<!-- END GCM -->

It worked perfectly until I updated my Nexus 7 to Android 5.0.
Now when I try to install the app in this device with Eclipse, I get this error:

INSTALL_FAILED_DUPLICATE_PERMISSION perm=com.myapp.permission.C2D_MESSAGE pkg=com.myapp

I don't understand what is wrong... it was working perfectly until Android 5.0.
I know that I am using C2D_MESSAGE in two lines, permission and uses-permission but I have copied that code from the original Google GCM guide, so it must be fine.

Answer 1

I had the same problem with a custom signature permission on Android-21 and solved it by making sure I was doing a complete uninstall.

This is an edge case that occurs when:

1. An application defines a custom permission using signature level security
2. You attempt to update the installed app with a version signed with a different key
3. The test device is running Android 21 or newer with support for multiple users

Command line example

Here is a command-line transcript that demonstrates the issue and how to solve it. At this point a debug version is installed and I am trying to install a production version signed with the release key:

# This fails because the debug version defines the custom permission signed with a different key:

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# . androidbuildscripts/my-adb-install Example release
920 KB/s (2211982 bytes in 2.347s)
        pkg: /data/local/tmp/Example-release.apk
Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_DUPLICATE_PERMISSION perm=com.example.android.example.PERMISSION_EXAMPLE_PLUGIN pkg=com.example.android.example]

# I use uninstall -k because apparently that is similar to uninstalling as a user
# by dragging the app out of the app tray:

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# /android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/adb uninstall -k com.example.android.example
The -k option uninstalls the application while retaining the data/cache.
At the moment, there is no way to remove the remaining data.
You will have to reinstall the application with the same signature, and fully uninstall it.
If you truly wish to continue, execute 'adb shell pm uninstall -k com.example.android.example'

# Let's go ahead and do that:

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# /android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/adb shell pm uninstall -k com.example.android.example
Success

# This fails again because the custom permission apparently is part of the data/cache
# that was not uninstalled:

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# . androidbuildscripts/my-adb-install Example release
912 KB/s (2211982 bytes in 2.367s)
        pkg: /data/local/tmp/Example-release.apk
Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_DUPLICATE_PERMISSION perm=com.example.android.example.PERMISSION_EXAMPLE_PLUGIN pkg=com.example.android.example]

# In spite of the warning above, simply doing a full uninstall at this point turned out to 
# work (for me):

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# /android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/adb uninstall com.example.android.example
Success

# Release version now successfully installs:

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# . androidbuildscripts/my-adb-install Example release
898 KB/s (2211982 bytes in 2.405s)
        pkg: /data/local/tmp/Example-release.apk
Success

[root@localhost svn-android-apps]# 

Eclipse example

Going in the opposite direction (trying to install a debug build from Eclipse when a release build is already installed), I get the following dialog:

If you just answer yes at this point the install will succeed.

Device example

As pointed out in another answer, you can also go to an app info page in the device settings, click the overflow menu, and select "Uninstall for all users" to prevent this error.

Answer 2

Previously it used to say that an app with different signature is found on device. When installing from IDE it would also ask do you want to uninstall it?

But I think from Android 5.0 they have changed the reason for uninstallation. It does not happen if you are installing app with the same signature

Answer 3

replace below lines:

<permission android:name="com.myapp.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" android:protectionLevel="signature" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.myapp.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" 
android:protectionLevel="signature" /> 

Answer 4

Remove

<uses-permission android:name="${applicationId}.permission.C2D_MESSAGE"/>
<permission
    android:name="${applicationId}.permission.C2D_MESSAGE"
    android:protectionLevel="signature"/>

Run App... Then Add the permisson again and Run App.

Ready!.

Answer 5

While giving this error it will clearly mention the package name of the app because of which the permission was denied. And just uninstalling the application will not solve the problem. In order to solve problem we need to do the following step:

1. Go to settings
2. Go to app
3. Go to downloaded app list
4. You can see the uninstalled application in the list
5. Click on the application, go to more option
6. Click on uninstall for all users options

Problem solved :D

Answer 6

In my case I was using a third party library (i.e. vendor) and the library comes with a sample app which I already had install on my device. So that sample app was now conflicting each time I try to install my own app implementing the library. So I just uninstalled the vendor's sample app and it works afterwards.