How to downgrade an android App(wechat) without losing chat history
In android, once upgraded from a lower version to a higher one. It cannot roll back since the system does not allow an apk with a lower version comparing to current version to be installed with a error code [INSTALL_FAILED_VERSION_DOWNGRADE].
C:\Phone\Download>adb install “tencent.mm_7.0.6–1500_minAPI19(armeabi-v7a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk”
adb: failed to install tencent.mm_7.0.6–1500_minAPI19(armeabi-v7a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_VERSION_DOWNGRADE]But if uninstall the app, all the data got deleted. two year of chat history iwll be gone. To backup the several GB data and restore it will be a headache. Someone says it can use adb install -r -d <packet name> to install the lower version forcefully. I tried by failed.
L:\Phone\Download>adb install -r -d “tencent.mm_7.0.6–1500_minAPI19(armeabi-v7a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk”
adb: failed to install tencent.mm_7.0.6–1500_minAPI19(armeabi-v7a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_VERSION_DOWNGRADE]then you can try and use adb uninstall -k <package> and then installing the older apk. From the adb usage guide:
adb uninstall [-k] <package> - remove this app package from the device ('-k' means keep the data and cache directories)when running adb uninstall -k, the prompt says it should use
adb shell cmd package uninstall -k packet nameC:\Phone\Download>adb shell cmd package uninstall -k com.tencent.mm
Success
well, all the configure and cache are kept. Need to restart phone, otherwise, install is still not allowed. after rebooting the phone, install will success.
C:\Phone\Download>adb install “tencent.mm_7.0.6–1500_minAPI19(armeabi-v7a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk”
Success
