MuntashirAkon/AppManager · error · BackupException

Rules restore is requested but the app isn't installed.

Error message

Rules restore is requested but the app isn't installed.

What it means

Thrown by restoreRules when a rules restore was requested but the target application is not installed. AppManager's rules (component blocking etc.) are stored via the system for an installed package, so applying rules to a missing package is rejected up front.

Solutions

1. Install the application first, then re-run the restore with rules enabled
2. Disable the rules-restore flag in the restore options
3. Verify the target userId matches the profile where the app is installed
4. Restore rules manually via AppManager's rules UI after installing the app

Example fix

// before
new RestoreOp(context, backupItem, new RestoreRequestFlags(/* rules */ true, ...)).runRestore();
// after
if (isPackageInstalled(context, pkg, userId)) {
    new RestoreOp(context, backupItem, new RestoreRequestFlags(true, ...)).runRestore();
} else {
    Log.w(TAG, "App not installed; skipping rules restore");
}

try {
    context.getPackageManager().getPackageInfoForUser(pkg, 0, userId);
} catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
    flags.restoreRules = false;
}

try {
    restoreOp.runRestore();
} catch (BackupException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("app isn't installed")) {
        queueRulesRestoreAfterInstall();
    } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Backup flags request rules restore but mIsInstalled is false when restoreRules runs — package absent for the given user at restore time.

Common situations: Restoring rules for an uninstalled app; wrong user profile (app installed on user 0 but restore targets user 10); full restore attempted after app was uninstalled following backup creation.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid state transition" errors: "status must be X, actually Y", "already rejected/charging/uninstalled", "cannot ... while running" — what they mean when a library rejects your call — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• Misc restore is requested but the app isn't installed.
• Rules file is missing.
• ADB restore is requested but there are no .ab files.
• An uninstallation was necessary but couldn't perform it.
• Android System (android) cannot be backed up.

AI-assisted analysis of MuntashirAkon/AppManager@0152f468fc (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/062cd765e859bccc. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at app/src/main/java/io/github/muntashirakon/AppManager/backup/RestoreOp.java:755

            }
        }
        // Decrypt permission file
        try {
            miscFile = mBackupItem.decrypt(new Path[]{miscFile})[0];
        } catch (IOException | IndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
            throw new BackupException("Failed to decrypt " + miscFile.getName(), e);
        }
        try {
            rules.loadExternalEntries(miscFile);
        } catch (Throwable e) {
            throw new BackupException("Failed to load rules from misc.", e);
        }
    }

    private void restoreRules() throws BackupException {
        // Apply rules
        if (!mIsInstalled) {
            throw new BackupException("Rules restore is requested but the app isn't installed.");
        }
        Path rulesFile;
        try {
            rulesFile = mBackupItem.getRulesFile();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            if (mBackupMetadata.hasRules) {
                throw new BackupException("Rules file is missing.", e);
            } else {
                // There are no rules, just skip
                return;
            }
        }
        if (!mRequestedFlags.skipSignatureCheck()) {
            String checksum = DigestUtils.getHexDigest(mBackupInfo.checksumAlgo, rulesFile);
            if (!checksum.equals(mChecksum.get(rulesFile.getName()))) {
                throw new BackupException("Couldn't verify permission file." +
                        "\nFile: " + rulesFile +
                        "\nFound: " + checksum +

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