Cannot install app on iOS Simulator when it's already installed

[knaeckeKami]

When I want to run my app on an iOS simulator, the install fails with the error message

Finished with error: ProcessException: Process exited abnormally:
An error was encountered processing the command (domain=IXUserPresentableErrorDomain, code=1):
This app could not be installed at this time.
Could not install at this time.
Could not hardlink copy /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/1D23A686-D128-4105-B418-C685A89E17AD/Runner.app to /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.YyjGb7/extracted/Payload/Runner.app with manifest /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.YyjGb7/extracted/com.apple.deltainstallcommands.com.company.appid.dev
Underlying error (domain=MIInstallerErrorDomain, code=8):
	Could not hardlink copy /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/1D23A686-D128-4105-B418-C685A89E17AD/Runner.app to /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.YyjGb7/extracted/Payload/Runner.app with manifest /Users/<User>/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.YyjGb7/extracted/com.apple.deltainstallcommands.com.company.appid.dev
  Command: /usr/bin/xcrun simctl install 5C926A45-1233-4219-B851-C62AF5A311FE /Users/kami/diagnosia/neocortex-mobile/build/ios/iphonesimulator/Runner.app

, if the app is already installed on the simulator device. If it's not installed, everything works as expected. On Android and real iOS devices, this is also not an issue.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install the iOS app on the simulator
2. Install the iOS app on the simulator again
3. This error occurs

There are probably more preconditions for this error to occur, but I could not figure out what exactly causes this. I suspect it's related to flutter flavors, which my app uses.

Target Platform: ios
Target OS version/browser: any
Devices: Simulator only

Related

Issue #40129 <- Probably the same issue, got closed for inactivity

Logs

https://gist.github.com/knaeckeKami/97e3775c8579e99a5c3c6f0036d3190b

flutter doctor
Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, v1.12.13+hotfix.5, on Mac OS X 10.15.2 19C57, locale en-GB)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 29.0.2)
[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS (Xcode 11.3)
[✓] Android Studio (version 3.5)
[!] IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition (version 2019.1.2)
    ✗ Flutter plugin not installed; this adds Flutter specific functionality.
    ✗ Dart plugin not installed; this adds Dart specific functionality.
[✓] VS Code (version 1.41.0)
[✓] Connected device (1 available)

! Doctor found issues in 1 category.

[yorickreum]

We encounter the same problem at the moment, at two different MacBooks. Quite confusing.

[yorickreum]

@knaeckeKami Have you found any solution?

[knaeckeKami]

No, not yet.

[knaeckeKami]

All I can say, is that all the fixes posted in the related issues (updating xcode, making sure the version strings are set correctly, etc.) are not working for me.

[yorickreum]

Yes, for us neither, we tried everything...
Do you think it could be a signing problem? We tried automatic signing with Xcode and fastlane match...

[knaeckeKami]

I don't think so, at least not for me. The first install succeeds, if it were a signing problem, the first would fail, too.
Also

 (domain=MIInstallerErrorDomain, code=8):

does not indicate a signing problem.
I know this because I ran into

 (domain=MIInstallerErrorDomain Code=13 "Failed to verify code signature of ..."

In other (non-flutter) projects.

[knaeckeKami]

Additional Info from Xcode:

Domain: MIInstallerErrorDomain
Code: 8
User Info: {
    FunctionName = "-[MIInstallableBundlePatch _applyDeltaPatchWithError:]";
    LegacyErrorString = PackagePatchFailed;
    SourceFileLine = 113;
}

[knaeckeKami]

The problem suddenly disappeared, now I can install the app on the simulator without problem. Not sure what changed.

Leaving this open anyway because it seems to affect other users too.

[mploigt]

I am running into the same problem all of a sudden:
Finished with error: ProcessException: Process exited abnormally: An error was encountered processing the command (domain=IXUserPresentableErrorDomain, code=1): This app could not be installed at this time. Could not install at this time. Could not hardlink copy /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/405039B4-E063-415E-BE8A-56C669BDB867/Runner.app to /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.jp33Ip/extracted/Payload/Runner.app with manifest /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.jp33Ip/extracted/com.apple.deltainstallcommands.de.chefkoch.cheflist Underlying error (domain=MIInstallerErrorDomain, code=8): Could not hardlink copy /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/405039B4-E063-415E-BE8A-56C669BDB867/Runner.app to /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.jp33Ip/extracted/Payload/Runner.app with manifest /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437/data/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.jp33Ip/extracted/com.apple.deltainstallcommands.de.chefkoch.cheflist Command: /usr/bin/xcrun simctl install A9AB9380-FB93-4119-8914-F67AB6C97437 /Users/xxxxxxxxx/Projects/xxxxxxxxx/build/ios/iphonesimulator/Runner.app

Flutter 1.12.13+hotfix.6
Xcode 11.3.1

[dahyun31x]

In my case, it was an error because there were different apps left about the same project in the emulator.

I deleted old version app and it works!

[alexpchin]

I'm still facing this issue? Really confusing!

[MatBdry]

Same as @dhdh3311, just because there was an old version of the app (renamed) on the simulator. I juste removed the old version and relaunch and it works.

[github-actions]

This thread has been automatically locked since there has not been any recent activity after it was closed. If you are still experiencing a similar issue, please open a new bug, including the output of flutter doctor -v and a minimal reproduction of the issue.