Molly IM stopped working. Does not start anymore. UPDATE

marbalf · 10 December 2025 16:37

REPRODUCIBILITY: 100%
OS VERSION: 5.0.0.72
HARDWARE: Xperia 10 III
UI LANGUAGE: English
REGRESSION: Yes

DESCRIPTION:

UPDATE: added screenshots of a working environment and of mine, at the end.

I have been using the Molly app for quite a time; no issues until yesterday. I was using the app normally, when all of a sudden it closed. I tried to reopen it, but it has always “collapsed” since.

I started following the usual way, and looked for app updates. There were none related to Molly, but other updates were ready both on F-Droid and on Aurora (telling this if the presence or update of other apps has any influence whatsoever): I installed them.

Then I tried to open Molly again: no success. I thought about re-installing it, I downloaded the APK from the website, installed the app over the running installation, but with no success, again.

Today, I went a few steps further. I uninstalled the app, and installed it again. It made me hopeful, because it did in fact open: it allowed me to restore my backup, and to type in my details (the phone number, the PIN number, and the encryption password of choice, in the order it asks for it). It went all well until it had to actually open up with the usual main screen. It stopped and closed itself there and then. Again, if I tried to open it, it would close immediately.

I decided to drop Molly, and I downloaded Signal itself. And it was just the same: I put all the details in, I was even able to use the Molly backups on Signal app, but also the main Signal app collapses at the end.

Last thing, I thought about using Whisperfish (which I had to drop for some do-not-remember reason time ago), and tried to go that way. Unfortunately, WF “failed to setup Signal client”, but that might be me, because I secured my Signal account with a PIN, and AFAIR someone mentioned that PINs are not implemented on WF.

PRECONDITIONS:

Have a working Signal account, use it with an Android app.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

Click on the corresponding icon
Wait for the app to start
See the “boot” screen of the app start

EXPECTED RESULT:

App normally starting.

ACTUAL RESULT:

App maybe starts, but stops immediately, before any interaction is possible.

MODIFICATIONS:

None related, to our knowledge.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

0- all other Android apps work normally.

1- I had noticed something odd recently. The app would work, but if I would swipe it to a side and get to the home screen, I would see the actual silica cover with the icon spinning, rather than the ready app. In fact, to call the app back, I would have to tap on the icon in the icon menu.

2- I know that this issue has probably been covered previously here, here, and here.
But this has happened now, and my phone is on 5.0.0.72.

3- I read those bug reports and before going the re-install way, I also tried the suggested workarounds. I did try to open from Android Settings (same result), I also opened the apkd-launcher…desktop file in a file manager (same result, works with other apps), and I tried to use the lca-tool (same old).

I might also know someone who has the same phone, on 5.0.0.71 I think, with Molly running, if need be.

And I have this log from journalctl. For the context, I open Terminal first, launched journalctl -f and then swiped to the menu. I waited for the app to stop, and ctrl-c’ed journalctl.

13:30:45 Xperia10III invoker[60797]: Launching Android I
ntent android.intent.action.MAIN im.molly.app/org.thoughtcrime.
securesms.RoutingActivity
Dec 10 13:30:45 Xperia10III booster-generic[3587]: *** signal=1
7 pid=3587
Dec 10 13:30:45 Xperia10III /usr/libexec/mapplauncherd/booster-
generic[3587]: warning: Daemon: sending exit(0) to invoker(6079
7)
Dec 10 13:30:45 Xperia10III d-bridge[5362]: Discarding parcel w
ith 100 bytes unread
Dec 10 13:30:45 Xperia10III [3903]: [W] unknown:0 - An inactive
plugin is misbehaving - tried to show a window!
Dec 10 13:30:45 Xperia10III [3903]: [W] unknown:0 - requestActi
vate() called for  QQuickView(0x34264aa0)  which has Qt::Window
DoesNotAcceptFocus set.
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III [3903]: [W] unknown:0 - requestActi
vate() called for  QQuickView(0x34264aa0)  which has Qt::Window
DoesNotAcceptFocus set.
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: Starting loading
dynamic keyboard
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: [2B blob data]
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: Error adding a dy
namic key: 71
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: coords: 213 680 3
09 860
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: Content: ,
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: Error adding a dy
namic key: 71
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: coords: 771 680 8
67 860
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: Content: .
Dec 10 13:30:46 Xperia10III xt9-server[3646]: ET9STATUS ET9Hand
le_KDB_Request(ET9KDBInfo*, ET9WordSymbInfo*, ET9KDB_Request*):
2
Dec 10 13:30:47 Xperia10III ofonod[1434]: not roaming based on
spdi
Dec 10 13:30:47 Xperia10III ofonod[1434]: not roaming based on
spdi
Dec 10 13:30:47 Xperia10III ofonod[1434]: not roaming based on
spdi
Dec 10 13:30:48 Xperia10III d-bridge[5362]: Discarding parcel w
ith 4 bytes unread
Dec 10 13:30:49 Xperia10III kernel: qcom_rpmh DRV:apps_rsc TCS
Busy, retrying RPMH message send: addr=0x30010
Dec 10 13:30:50 Xperia10III kernel: qcom_rpmh DRV:apps_rsc TCS
Busy, retrying RPMH message send: addr=0x30010
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III mce[1103]: tklock.c: tklock_dbus_no
tification_beg_cb(): notification begin from name=:1.78 owner=:
1.78 pid=3761 uid=100000 gid=996 priv=1 cmd=/usr/bin/lipstick -
plugin evdevtouch -plugin evdevmouse -plugin
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III mce[1103]: tklock.c: tklock_datapip
e_uiexception_type_cb(): uiexception_type = none -> notif
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: release 61005:61026
transaction 3480145 in, still active
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: send failed reply f
or transaction 3480145 to 60595:60987
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: release 61035:61053
transaction 3480445 in, still active
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: send failed reply f
or transaction 3480445 to 60595:60987
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: undelivered transac
tion 3480497, process died.
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: undelivered TRANSAC
TION_COMPLETE
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: undelivered transac
tion 3480511, process died.
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III d-bridge[5362]: Discarding parcel w
ith 44 bytes unread
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III kernel: binder: 6421:6421 transacti
on failed 29189/-22, size 96-0 line 3103
Dec 10 13:30:52 Xperia10III mce[1103]: modules/proximity.c: mp_
datapipe_set_proximity_sensor_actual(): state: UNDEF -> OPEN
Dec 10 13:30:54 Xperia10III [3903]: [W] unknown:0 - An inactive
plugin is misbehaving - tried to show a window!
Dec 10 13:30:54 Xperia10III [3903]: [W] unknown:0 - requestActi
vate() called for  QQuickView(0x34264aa0)  which has Qt::Window
DoesNotAcceptFocus set.
Dec 10 13:30:56 Xperia10III ngfd[3654]: [67703.978] WARNING: co
re: no sinks that can handle the request 'feedback_press_weak'
Dec 10 13:30:56 Xperia10III fingerterm[60161]: [D] unknown:0 -
unknown special key:  67108864
Dec 10 13:30:57 Xperia10III kernel: qcom_rpmh DRV:apps_rsc TCS
Busy, retrying RPMH message send: addr=0x30010
^C

COMPARISON SCREENSHOTS
Working environment: launched journalctl -f, swiped out, launched Molly (successfully), closed Molly, stopped journalctl.

Not working environment: launched journalctl -f, swiped out, launched Molly (Molly starts and stops right away), stopped journalctl.

pherjung · 12 December 2025 11:11

Which release do you use now? v7.66.5-1?

marbalf · 12 December 2025 11:49

The issue happened with 7.63.3-1-FOSS; because of that I thought about updating to 7.66.5-1-F. But the problem persisted.
I uninstalled it, and reinstalled it without success. I tried also with Signal 7.66.5, downloaded via Aurora, unsuccessfully.
Then I went to Github and downloaded Molly 7.53.5-1-F: still no solution.

I am thinking about uninstalling and reinstalling AAS; but, first, I was trying to understand if uninstalling it does wipe all settings or not (I hope it does, for otherwise it would be a pointless and painful exercise, given all the other apps I would bring down too).

makrolon · 12 December 2025 11:55

Just to add a data point, I’m currently running 7.66.5-1-FOSS (updated to this version a couple of days ago via F-Droid), with the same device and the same SFOS version - so far without any issues.

marbalf · 27 December 2025 11:38

A few last lines, not to leave the Report hanging.

TLDR: I had to give up on Molly. I am back using Whisperfish. It was my fault: the kid (me) played with fire (contacts database).

Long version:
I had to wait for one week because my number got blocked, probably because while I was unsuccessfully trying to reinstall some operation in the background was still going: when I entered my PIN on the last try, the system said I had entered it wrong too many times, which was not the case (yes, I am sure: I am certain about the PIN).
A week later I installed Molly again. As soon as the app was running, the usual issue reappeared. I thought this time it would be different, because I thought I had found the issue, but somehow I still missed (and messed) something. So, not to get the number blocked again, I installed Molly on a spare Android laying about, I got rid of the PIN, and then I installed Whisperfish.

THE ISSUE:
it is due to something related to the Android contacts database file (/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db that in Sailfish you find under /home/.appsupport/instance/defaultuser/data/data…). A few weeks ago I saw that SF now has a button to allow Android apps to see SF contacts, or not. So I think I started playing with it. Because of that all of my chats in Molly got their contacts’ names changed back to the “silly” nicknames we all use, and that I had changed by allowing the app to read my Contacts files. I did not like that, so I tried to revert it: I allowed Molly to read my files, I got my names as I like them, and then I blocked access again.
I think this is where the mistake was: in layman terms let’s say that the app has the capacity (flag? else? I dunno) to remember it had access to the contacts, and now does not start because it cannot find it (some log I found states that). I changed things again by allowing access afterwards, and other apps that had started to behave similarly have run smoothly ever since. Yet, Molly doesn’t work anymore. Easy solution would be to reinstall SF, but that is another story (other old post about how I can’t access the fastboot, blue led).

Cheers to everybody and Happy New Year.