MuntashirAkon/AppManager · error · BadParcelableException

Parcelable protocol requires a Parcelable.Creator object cal

Error message

Parcelable protocol requires a Parcelable.Creator object called CREATOR on class " + name

What it means

ParcelUtils.readParcelableCreator requires the class's CREATOR field to be of a type assignable to Parcelable.Creator. If the field exists and is static but has some other type, BadParcelableException is thrown before Field.get() to avoid initializing the class.

Source

Thrown at libcore/io/src/main/java/aosp/android/content/pm/ParcelUtils.java:74

                    ClassLoader parcelableClassLoader = (loader == null ? from.getClass().getClassLoader() : loader);
                    // Avoid initializing the Parcelable class until we know it implements
                    // Parcelable and has the necessary CREATOR field.
                    Class<?> parcelableClass = Class.forName(name, false /* initialize */,
                            parcelableClassLoader);
                    if (!Parcelable.class.isAssignableFrom(parcelableClass)) {
                        throw new BadParcelableException("Parcelable protocol requires that the "
                                + "class implements Parcelable");
                    }
                    Field f = parcelableClass.getField("CREATOR");
                    if ((f.getModifiers() & Modifier.STATIC) == 0) {
                        throw new BadParcelableException("Parcelable protocol requires "
                                + "the CREATOR object to be static on class " + name);
                    }
                    Class<?> creatorType = f.getType();
                    if (!Parcelable.Creator.class.isAssignableFrom(creatorType)) {
                        // Fail before calling Field.get(), not after, to avoid initializing
                        // parcelableClass unnecessarily.
                        throw new BadParcelableException("Parcelable protocol requires a "
                                + "Parcelable.Creator object called "
                                + "CREATOR on class " + name);
                    }
                    creator = (Parcelable.Creator<?>) f.get(null);
                } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
                    Log.e(TAG, "Illegal access when unmarshalling: " + name, e);
                    throw new BadParcelableException(
                            "IllegalAccessException when unmarshalling: " + name);
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
                    Log.e(TAG, "Class not found when unmarshalling: " + name, e);
                    throw new BadParcelableException("ClassNotFoundException when unmarshalling: " + name);
                } catch (NoSuchFieldException e) {
                    throw new BadParcelableException("Parcelable protocol requires a "
                            + "Parcelable.Creator object called "
                            + "CREATOR on class " + name);
                }
                if (creator == null) {
                    throw new BadParcelableException("Parcelable protocol requires a "

View on GitHub (pinned to 0152f468fc)

Solutions

1. Change the CREATOR field's declared type to Parcelable.Creator<T>
2. Rename any unrelated constant that shadows the CREATOR convention
3. Confirm the class name in the parcel refers to the intended Parcelable class

Example fix

// before
public static final MyCustomFactory CREATOR = new MyCustomFactory();
// after
public static final Parcelable.Creator<MyData> CREATOR = new Parcelable.Creator<MyData>() {...};

try {
    Class<?> c = Class.forName(name, false, loader);
    Class<?> t = c.getField("CREATOR").getType();
    if (!Parcelable.Creator.class.isAssignableFrom(t)) throw new IllegalStateException("CREATOR wrong type");
} catch (ReflectiveOperationException e) { /* handle */ }

try {
    T p = ParcelUtils.readParcelable(parcel, loader);
} catch (BadParcelableException e) {
    Log.e(TAG, "CREATOR type invalid on class", e);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Reading a Parcelable whose CREATOR field is declared as a non-Creator type (e.g. a custom factory interface, Parcelable.Creator's raw generic in an incompatible hierarchy, or a field named CREATOR of an unrelated type).

Common situations: Refactoring where CREATOR's type was changed; classes with a constant named CREATOR that isn't a Creator; copying parcel-read helpers across unrelated classes.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is not a compatible type" / "cannot merge" errors: when a value's type doesn't match what the library requires — this error's family across 65 libraries.

Related errors

• Parcelable protocol requires that the class implements Parce
• Can't unparcel type " + actual.getName() + " in list of type
• Parcelable protocol requires the CREATOR object to be static
• IllegalAccessException when unmarshalling: " + name
• ClassNotFoundException when unmarshalling: " + name

AI-assisted analysis of MuntashirAkon/AppManager@0152f468fc (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4f7fcf261855e70b. Report an issue: GitHub.