Does omitting android:exported with intent filters cause install-time failures on API 31+

Answer

If the effective targetSdkVersion of the APK is 31 or higher, an activity, service, or broadcast receiver that declares an <intent-filter> but omits android:exported is rejected during package parsing and the install fails. If the effective targetSdkVersion is 30 or lower, the legacy default (android:exported="true" when an intent filter is present) still applies, so the component is considered exported and the APK installs.

Confirmed facts

• The Android 12 (API 31) platform changed the rule: components with intent filters must explicitly declare android:exported; the system no longer infers a default.
• The failure occurs at install/manifest‑parse time, not at runtime; adb install returns an error such as INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK: Missing exported attribute.
• The rule applies to the merged manifest, so library manifests that add intent filters can trigger the requirement even if your source manifest omits them.

Likely explanation

When targetSdkVersion ≥ 31, the package manager treats a missing android:exported as an error for any component with an intent filter, enforcing the new privacy‑by‑default policy. For lower targetSdkVersions the platform retains the historic behavior for compatibility.

Steps to verify for your build

1. Determine the effective targetSdkVersion: check defaultConfig { targetSdkVersion } in Gradle or inspect the merged manifest’s manifest tag for targetSdkVersion.
2. Open the merged AndroidManifest.xml (app/build/intermediates/merged_manifests/debug/AndroidManifest.xml or equivalent) and locate every <activity>, <service>, or <receiver> that contains an <intent-filter> child but lacks an android:exported attribute.
3. Build the APK (./gradlew assembleDebug) and install it on an Android 12+ emulator or device:
   1. adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
   2. If the install fails, the console will show an error like INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK: Missing exported attribute in ....
4. If the install succeeds, either the effective targetSdkVersion is ≤ 30 or all intent‑filter components already declare android:exported.

Missing diagnostic detail

To give a definitive recommendation, I need to know the effective targetSdkVersion of the variant you are installing. If it is 31 or higher, you must add android:exported (true or false as appropriate) to every component with an intent filter; if it is 30 or lower, the existing manifest will continue to work on Android 12+ devices.