Seedvault: Backup aborted due to wifi/mobile data problem?

haQ

I've been using Seedvault more or less succesfully the past 2 years. Never had an error while creating backups or installing backup on another phone during that time. Today, I received this error message via push notifs:

"Backup failed: The backup has been aborted. Are you using mobile data? Connect to wifi-to continue."

Context:
1) First time I'm seeing this.
2) I'm connected to wifi (which is working fine)
3) Tried it with mobile data on and off
4) I run the latest GOS on a Pixel 8

Thank you for your help!

nandohyphen1

haQ I've been using seedvault backup too. Just yesterday, the exact same thing you described above happened to me as well! I tried disabling my VPN and excluding it from the backup, bit it did not work either.

haQ

nandohyphen1

My problem has been fixed after the last update. Hope it works for you as well!

nandohyphen1

haQ hope so too! I plan on trying another backup later so I'll report back. :)

nandohyphen1

No, mine still doesn't work. :(

Morte

Same here. Worked until one or two weeks ago (Edit: There is a message: "Last backup July 11"). Since then, every backup attempt failed.

It is first saying "Backing up ...", as usual, for a while and then always fails.

I backup to a local hard drive, so it shouldn't even be necessary to use the data connection.

I have a Pixel 9 with release number 2025071900.

nandohyphen1

Morte yes thats exactly what happens when I try to do a backup. But mine says last backup July 6. I also back up to a USB drive. My phone is a Pixel 6a with build number 2025071900. I still try backups every few days but to no avail.

hnn8

I have the same problem and reported it here: https://github.com/seedvault-app/seedvault/issues/944#issuecomment-3103587504 havent got a response so far.

I also cant make any backups onto my local ssd that I connected via USB-C.
I use GrapheneOS on my Pixel 7. Neither owner nor user profile backups succeed. (tried with 2025071900 and 2025070800
Versions before Android 16 worked.
I always spot these lines in the logs:

DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
Sometimes they occure multiple times under each other, sometimes just
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference

sometimes:

FullBackup: Perform full backup for com.android.role.notes.enabled.
BackupCoordinator: Get backup quota for com.android.role.notes.enabled. Is full backup: true.
BackupCoordinator: Reported quota of 3221225472 bytes.
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: checkFullBackupSize(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
com.stevesoltys.seedvault.BackupMonitor: com.android.role.notes.enabled                                   cat: 3 id: 16
com.stevesoltys.seedvault.BackupMonitor: Pre-flight error from com.android.role.notes.enabled: -1002
BackupCoordinator: Cancel full backup of com.android.role.notes.enabled because of UNKNOWN_ERROR
FullBackup: Cancel full backup for com.android.role.notes.enabled
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: Request full backup time. Returned 2592000000
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.role.notes.enabled, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.proxyhandler 173/365
com.stevesoltys.seedvault: AssetManager2(0xb400c01ebb36ac28) locale list changing from [] to [en-DE]
NotificationBackupObserver: 173/365 - Notes Role enabled (com.android.role.notes.enabled)
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.safetycenter.resources, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.role.notes.enabled 174/365
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
com.stevesoltys.seedvault: AssetManager2(0xb400c01ebb323b28) locale list changing from [] to [en-DE]
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
NotificationBackupObserver: 174/365 - Safety Centre resources (com.android.safetycenter.resources)
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.safetyregulatoryinfo.auto_generated_rro_product__, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.safetycenter.resources 175/365
NotificationBackupObserver: 175/365 - com.android.safetyregulatoryinfo.auto_generated_rro_product__ (com.android.safetyregulatoryinfo.auto_generated_rro_product__)
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.server.deviceconfig.resources, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.safetyregulatoryinfo.auto_generated_rro_product__ 176/365
NotificationBackupObserver: 176/365 - com.android.server.deviceconfig.resources (com.android.server.deviceconfig.resources)
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.settings.SettingsGoogleSyntheticOverlay, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.server.deviceconfig.resources 177/365
NotificationBackupObserver: 177/365 - com.android.settings.SettingsGoogleSyntheticOverlay (com.android.settings.SettingsGoogleSyntheticOverlay)
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.settings.SettingsIntelligenceGoogleSyntheticOverlay, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.settings.SettingsGoogleSyntheticOverlay 178/365
NotificationBackupObserver: 178/365 - com.android.settings.SettingsIntelligenceGoogleSyntheticOverlay (com.android.settings.SettingsIntelligenceGoogleSyntheticOverlay)
DocumentFile: Failed query: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.database.Cursor.moveToFirst()' on a null object reference
BackupCoordinator: performFullBackup(): Can't do backup now, rejecting...
NotificationBackupObserver: Completed. Target: com.android.settings.auto_generated_rro_product__, status: -1002
NotificationBackupObserver: Showing progress notification for com.android.settings.SettingsIntelligenceGoogleSyntheticOverlay 179/365
NotificationBackupObserver: 179/365 - com.android.settings.auto_generated_rro_product__ (com.android.settings.auto_generated_rro_product__)

... and so on

Morte

I also commented on Github with a logfile.
For me, it seems that the local drive was disconnected during backup. But it was not, at least not physically.

inomfood

I am experiencing this with a Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro. It also affects restoring, not only backing up. However, when it happens during restores, it is silent and gives no error.

In order to migrate to a new phone currently:

1. Use seedvault to make an INTERNAL backup on the phone's internal storage. 
2. Copy the backup to your USB drive
3. Set up new phone *without* selecting "restore"
4. Copy your backup from your USB drive to the new phone's local storage
5. Go to settings > system > backup > 3 dots > restore > internal storage

If you try to backup or restore from a USB drive directly, it will fail. I wasted most of my day today trying to figure this out.

MEGAbyter

inomfood Yep. I had the same problem as OP but was able to get it work by backing up locally and then transferring to a USB C drive. I haven't tried restoring yet but I'd imagine it'll work just fine if I transfer it back to the phone first.

nandohyphen1

MEGAbyter I've always backed up my phone to seedvault with a flash drive - until lately when I've ran into problems with seedvault. I also haven't restored a backup yet. But if I do have to, your saying it (should) be easier to restore from a local backup file on the phone rather than a flash drive backup (So make a local backup, copy to flash drive, on new phone copy file from flash drive to internal storage, and restore from that)? Just curious for when I upgrade my phone at its EOL date.

MEGAbyter

nandohyphen1 Yep, it sure seems that way. When I was trying to do my backup, it failed over 10 times in a row, no matter what I tried to do to fix it. I kept getting the same error as the OP. It worked the very first time I did it when saved internally. When I say worked I mean that loosely- it only backed up a third of my apps and said it was because the other apps haven't been used in a while. And there is no obvious setting to change to get it to backup ALL apps. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me. So I went through my phone and opened every single app and ran it again. It worked fine the second time too, but still only backed up 144 of 169 apps, and gave me varying reasons for most of those, and no reason at all for a handful of them. But I digress lol

Anyways, yeah I'm assuming it won't have issues restoring if you transfer the backup to internal memory first.

nandohyphen1

MEGAbyter good to know. Its been annoying and I used to do a weekly backup until it started failing. Its been a few weeks since I've attempted one. I'll try doing it today to internal storage and then to the flash drive.

Morte

Yesterday, I updated to build 2025073000 and today the backup worked again on the first attempt.

Flobby

@Morte I also updated yesterday, but it hasn't fixed the issue. Did you do anything different? Did you wipe the USB drive beforehand?

Morte

Flobby I wiped it mid of July in an attempt to overcome this issue, and since then I had unsuccessfully tried a few times.

spl4tt

Oh man, seedvault sucks so much. With the incoming p10 series launch, I already fear the switch. I think i'm just gonna install every app by my own instad of using seedvault this time

Flobby

Morte Thanks. I also wiped it. It failed and then it seems to have worked. I will try again later in the week to be sure.

nandohyphen1

@MEGAbyter if I backup to local storage on my phone is it going to make a backup file of 30GB? Because I've used up around 30GB on my phone and after adding the backup file, I don't want another 30 gigs taking up storage therefore using up 60 gigs of my storage in total. Thanks. :)

MEGAbyter

nandohyphen1 It'll use up however much space your backup needs. 30gb is a reasonable number so if that's the size of your backup then yep. But once you do it and then transfer the backup file to a USB C drive you can delete it from your phone's storage and free up that space.

nandohyphen1

MEGAbyter yeah that makes sense. Thanks