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weskay
New Participant
April 14, 2026
Question

Unable to test app because "conflicting package"

On our testing device (quest 3), we pulled the current live build of our app from the store to verify behavior, and the store-installed version is crashing on launch with no visible error. I don't know if this is an issue with just my device.

To isolate it, we downloaded the same live APK (previously tested and confirmed working) and attempted a direct install. That fails with:

"App not installed as package conflicts with existing package"

At this point, the only explanation on our side is that something isn’t being fully removed from the device after uninstall?

Steps already taken:

  • Uninstalled the existing app
  • Cleared unknown sources / external install permissions

The conflict persists, and the store version continues to crash despite being stable prior to upload.

Question:

Does Quest retain any residual package state, signatures, or cached data that could cause conflicts between a store-installed build and a sideloaded APK of the same package?

1 reply

Degly
Degly
Inspiring
May 11, 2026

Yes, Quest can retain package/signature state even after uninstall, especially when mixing store builds and sideloaded builds.

The most common cause is:

  • Different signing keys between the store APK and sideloaded APK
  • Same package name but different signature
  • Residual app data/cache still present

I would try:

  • Fully uninstall the app
  • Reboot the headset
  • Remove leftover data with adb uninstall <package> from PC
  • Check if multiple users/accounts on the headset still have the app installed
  • Verify the sideloaded APK is signed with the same keystore as the uploaded store build

The “conflicting package” message is usually signature-related rather than APK corruption.

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