MuntashirAkon/AppManager · error · BackupException

Could not get metadata file.

Error message

Could not get metadata file.

What it means

verifyMetadata computes a digest of backup.json (the 'info' file) for v5+ backups and needs its path from mBackupItem.getInfoFile(); an IOException there is wrapped as BackupException 'Could not get metadata file.' Verification aborts before any checksum comparison.

Source

Thrown at app/src/main/java/io/github/muntashirakon/AppManager/backup/RestoreOp.java:226

        if (progressHandler == null) {
            return;
        }
        float current = progressHandler.getLastProgress() + 1;
        progressHandler.postUpdate(current);
    }

    public boolean requiresRestart() {
        return mRequiresRestart;
    }

    private void verifyMetadata() throws BackupException {
        boolean isV5AndUp = mBackupItem.isV5AndUp();
        if (isV5AndUp) {
            Path infoFile;
            try {
                infoFile = mBackupItem.getInfoFile();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                throw new BackupException("Could not get metadata file.", e);
            }
            String checksum = DigestUtils.getHexDigest(mBackupInfo.checksumAlgo, infoFile);
            if (!checksum.equals(mChecksum.get(infoFile.getName()))) {
                throw new BackupException("Couldn't verify metadata file." +
                        "\nFile: " + infoFile +
                        "\nFound: " + checksum +
                        "\nRequired: " + mChecksum.get(infoFile.getName()));
            }
        }
        Path metadataFile;
        try {
            metadataFile = isV5AndUp ? mBackupItem.getMetadataV5File(false) : mBackupItem.getMetadataV2File();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new BackupException("Could not get metadata file.", e);
        }
        String checksum = DigestUtils.getHexDigest(mBackupInfo.checksumAlgo, metadataFile);
        if (!checksum.equals(mChecksum.get(metadataFile.getName()))) {
            throw new BackupException("Couldn't verify metadata file." +

View on GitHub (pinned to 0152f468fc)

Solutions

1. Confirm backup.json exists in the backup directory before starting the restore
2. Re-copy the full backup directory from the source
3. Check the backup directory path/permissions passed to RestoreOp
4. If decrypted on the fly, ensure decryption of info files succeeds

Example fix

// before
infoFile = mBackupItem.getInfoFile();
// after
try {
    infoFile = mBackupItem.getInfoFile();
} catch (IOException e) {
    throw new BackupException("Could not get metadata file (backup.json): " + e.getMessage()
            + "; ensure the backup directory is complete.", e);
}

if (!new File(backupDir, "backup.json").isFile()) {
    throw new BackupException("backup.json required for v5+ signature check is missing");
}

boolean infoFilePresent(Path dir) { return dir.resolve("backup.json").toFile().isFile(); }

try { restoreOp.runRestore(handler); } catch (BackupException e) { if ("Could not get metadata file.".equals(e.getMessage())) { recoverBackupDirectoryOrAbort(); } throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: getInfoFile() throws IOException during verifyMetadata — typically backup.json missing from the backup directory or an I/O error resolving/reading its path.

Common situations: Incomplete backup copy without backup.json yet with other files present; path resolution failure after decryption; file deleted by another process mid-restore.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• Could not get backup files.
• Could not retrieve metadata from backup.
• Failed to setup metadata.
• Failed to write metadata.
• not found at

AI-assisted analysis of MuntashirAkon/AppManager@0152f468fc (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/69753a4aab623b23. Report an issue: GitHub.