Fix INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE When Installing Android APK via ADB
Fix INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE When Installing Android APK via ADB
After building your React Native Android release APK, you may encounter this error when installing it:
adb: failed to install app-release.apk: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE: Existing package signatures do not match newer version]
This means the APK was built successfully, but Android refuses to install it because the app on your device was signed with a different certificate.
Why This Happens
Android requires that any update to an existing app must be signed with the same keystore as the original installation.
Typically this happens when:
- You installed a debug build previously
- You switched keystores for your release build
- You changed your signing configuration
If the signatures don’t match, Android will block the installation.
How to Fix It
Option 1: Uninstall the Existing App (Quick Fix)
adb uninstall com.westminstershortercatechismqa adb install app-release.apk
Once the old app is removed, the new APK will install normally.
Option 2: Use the Same Release Keystore Every Time
If you want your release APK to update instead of uninstalling each time, configure your signing in:
android/app/build.gradle
android {
signingConfigs {
release {
storeFile file("release.keystore")
storePassword "your_password"
keyAlias "your_alias"
keyPassword "your_password"
}
}
buildTypes {
release {
signingConfig signingConfigs.release
}
}
}
Summary
| Situation | Solution |
|---|---|
| Just testing once | Uninstall the old app |
| Want proper upgrades | Use the same keystore for release builds |
| Only local testing | Install debug APK instead |
After applying these fixes, you can install and update your React Native Android app without signature conflicts.
Happy building!
❤️ Support This Blog
If this post helped you, you can support my writing with a small donation. Thank you for reading.
Comments
Post a Comment