How (and where) to fix android.os.BadParcelableException: ClassNotFoundException when unmarshalling: RecyclerView$SavedState?

Question

I have been getting below exception in my android app's production apk for 1 day now:

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.a.b/com.a.b.c.d.HomeActivity}: android.os.BadParcelableException: ClassNotFoundException when unmarshalling: android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView$SavedState
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1654)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1670)
at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:117)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:931)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:3695)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:878)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:636)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
Caused by: android.os.BadParcelableException: ClassNotFoundException when unmarshalling: android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView$SavedState
at android.os.Parcel.readParcelable(Parcel.java:1958)
at android.os.Parcel.readValue(Parcel.java:1846)
at android.os.Parcel.readSparseArrayInternal(Parcel.java:2112)
at android.os.Parcel.readSparseArray(Parcel.java:1568)
at android.os.Parcel.readValue(Parcel.java:1903)
at android.os.Parcel.readMapInternal(Parcel.java:2083)
at android.os.Bundle.unparcel(Bundle.java:208)
at android.os.Bundle.getSparseParcelableArray(Bundle.java:1167)
at android.support.design.internal.NavigationMenuPresenter.onRestoreInstanceState(Unknown Source)
at android.support.v7.view.menu.i.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(Unknown Source)
at android.support.v7.view.menu.i.restorePresenterStates(Unknown Source)
at android.support.design.widget.NavigationView.onRestoreInstanceState(Unknown Source)
at android.view.View.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(View.java:6287)
at android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(ViewGroup.java:1211)
at android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(ViewGroup.java:1215)
at android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(ViewGroup.java:1215)
at android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(ViewGroup.java:1215)
at android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchRestoreInstanceState(ViewGroup.java:1215)
at android.view.View.restoreHierarchyState(View.java:6266)
at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow.restoreHierarchyState(PhoneWindow.java:1506)
at android.app.Activity.onRestoreInstanceState(Activity.java:847)
at android.app.Activity.performRestoreInstanceState(Activity.java:819)
at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnRestoreInstanceState(Instrumentation.java:1096)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1632)
... 11 more

All the above crash reports are from Android 2.3.3 - 2.3.7 versions. Not sure what is causing this.

I searched other similar posts too but the answers were around a custom object that implements parcelable which I do not implement in my app.

I am using the latest version of android support library and play-services in my app as given below:

compile 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:23.1.1'
compile 'com.android.support:design:23.1.1'

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-analytics:8.4.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:8.4.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-appinvite:8.4.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-plus:8.4.0'

Here is the code (that I feel relevant, if not please let me know what else is needed) from the activity that is failing:

private void initNavigationMenu() {
    mNavigationView = (NavigationView) findViewById(R.id.nav_view);
    mNavigationView.setNavigationItemSelectedListener(new NavigationView.OnNavigationItemSelectedListener() {
        @Override
        public boolean onNavigationItemSelected(MenuItem menuItem) {
            return onNavItemSelected(menuItem);
        }
    });

    Menu menu = mNavigationView.getMenu();

    MenuItem menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_tutorial);
    IconDrawable iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_ondemand_video)
            .colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_settings);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_settings).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_images_all);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, EntypoIcons.entypo_images).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_images_screenshots);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_camera).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_favorites);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_favorite).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_translate);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_translate).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_feedback);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_feedback).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_rate);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_rate_review).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_invite);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_insert_invitation).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_facebook);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, FontAwesomeIcons.fa_facebook).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_twitter);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, FontAwesomeIcons.fa_twitter).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_google_plus);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, FontAwesomeIcons.fa_google_plus).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);

    menuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_remove_ads);
    iconDrawable = new IconDrawable(this, MaterialIcons.md_attach_money).colorRes(R.color.black);
    menuItem.setIcon(iconDrawable);
    menuItem.setVisible(!BuildConfig.IS_PRO);

    setHeaderView();
}

private void setHeaderView() {

    boolean initializePlusOneButton = false;
    GoogleApiAvailability googleApiAvailability = GoogleApiAvailability.getInstance();
    int code = googleApiAvailability.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(this);
    if (code == ConnectionResult.SUCCESS) {
        initializePlusOneButton = true;
    } else if (googleApiAvailability.isUserResolvableError(code)) {
        googleApiAvailability.showErrorDialogFragment(this, code, REQ_CODE_GOOGLE_API_ERROR);
    }

    View headerView = LayoutInflater.from(this).inflate(
            initializePlusOneButton ?
                    R.layout.activity_home_drawer_header :
                    R.layout.activity_home_drawer_header_wo_plus_button, null);
    if (initializePlusOneButton) {
        mPlusOneButton = (PlusOneButton) headerView.findViewById(R.id.plus_one_button);
    }

    mNavigationView.addHeaderView(headerView);

    gLogger.debug(String.format(
            "setHeaderView(): initialize plusOneButton=%s", initializePlusOneButton
    ));
}

Contents of R.layout.activity_home_drawer_layout.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="150dp"
android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
android:orientation="vertical">

<com.andexert.library.RippleView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_gravity="bottom"
    android:padding="10dp"
    app:rv_rippleDuration="300"
    app:rv_type="rectangle">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <com.joanzapata.iconify.widget.IconTextView
            android:layout_width="60dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_above="@+id/app_name"
            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:text="{md-camera}"
            android:textColor="@color/white"
            android:textSize="50sp" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="0dip"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:padding="10dp">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/app_name"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
                android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
                android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
                android:text="@string/app_name"
                android:textColor="@color/white"
                android:textSize="16sp"
                android:textStyle="italic|bold" />

            <com.google.android.gms.plus.PlusOneButton
                xmlns:plus="http://schemas.android.com/apk/lib/com.google.android.gms.plus"
                android:id="@+id/plus_one_button"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                plus:annotation="bubble"
                plus:size="medium" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </LinearLayout>
</com.andexert.library.RippleView>

</LinearLayout>

Contents of R.layout.activity_home_drawer_header_wo_plus_button.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="150dp"
android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
android:orientation="vertical">

<com.andexert.library.RippleView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_gravity="bottom"
    android:padding="10dp"
    app:rv_rippleDuration="300"
    app:rv_type="rectangle">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical">

        <com.joanzapata.iconify.widget.IconTextView
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:padding="10dp"
            android:layout_above="@+id/app_name"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:layout_gravity="center"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:layout_height="0dip"
            android:text="{md-camera}"
            android:textColor="@color/white"
            android:textSize="80sp" />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/app_name"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
            android:text="@string/app_name"
            android:textColor="@color/white"
            android:textSize="18sp"
            android:textStyle="italic|bold" />
    </LinearLayout>
</com.andexert.library.RippleView>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

Whichever View gives error, use android:saveEnabled="false" on xml declaration of that View or yourView.setSaveEnabled(false) programmatically. This way you avoid saving state of that View (when Application process is killed) and no crash at restore time.

Answer 2

Opened up a ticket at bugs.google.com and for API 11+ it's fixed in Support library 24.0.0. For API <= 10 it will be fixed in a future release.