TROUBLESHOOTING
S2Arm installed, but no games showing?
Separate app installation, resource transfer and on-device import. Follow the branch matching your empty library or manual_unpack_required message.
On this page
An S2Arm icon on your phone proves only that the app is installed. Game resources still need to transfer and finish importing on the device.
This guide covers normal Mac / Windows launcher installation on iPhone or iPad. For LiveContainer, use the separate advanced guide.
Start here: Find the stage where resources stopped. Do not reinstall everything yet.
Choose what you see
| Current state | Next action |
|---|---|
| Computer is transferring and the byte count grows | Keep it connected and let transfer finish |
Transfer finished, one final step remains; manual_unpack_required | Open S2Arm on the phone, select the game and keep the app in the foreground |
| Phone says game resources are importing | Keep S2Arm open and avoid locking the screen; check progress when returning from another app |
| Game card says it needs game data | Verify computer transfer completed; follow the missing-resources branch below |
| v0.2.1, transfer completed but zero playable games | Use the version-specific empty-library branch below |
| Windows first install cannot read installed games; phone already has S2Arm with no games | Use the empty-app branch below; v0.2.8 fixes this case |
Windows first install with an empty S2Arm app
If the app is already installed on the phone but has no games, an older Windows installer could stop while trying to read the installed game list. v0.2.8 fixes that specific first-install failure.
Update the Windows launcher to v0.2.8, verify its version, reconnect and unlock the phone, then retry normal installation of your first game. See which update action to take. Do not start by deleting the app or library.
Success check: The installer gets past reading the empty game list and continues installation / transfer. Then finish on-device resource import. This fix does not explain every read error, a disconnected device, the v0.2.1 hidden-game bug, or a game still importing on the phone.
Transferred, but the computer could not open the phone app
You usually do not need to send the resources again. Open S2Arm manually on the phone, choose the game and wait for import.
Early versions could report an app-launch failure as a transfer failure. The fix for #192 shipped in v0.1.7 and was primarily unit-tested at that time. This is not evidence of testing on every device.
Success check: On-device import ends and the game can be selected and launched. Transfer success and actual game playability remain separate checks. If resources are still missing, follow the branch below.
v0.2.1 empty library after transfer
In #336 and #380, resources were waiting to unpack, but the app hid the unavailable game, preventing users from starting that process.
The maintainer reported a fix in v0.2.2. For this specific case, update the computer launcher and run normal installation for that game again. This fix does not require rebuilding the game. The #336 reporter also confirmed recovery.
Success check: The game becomes available for import and then launch. Early manual file-copying or internal-folder deletion workarounds are not the default for newer versions. If the same symptom persists on a newer version, capture its actual state instead of assuming the old cause.
Progress stays at 0 KB
Older releases could wait until a large file completed before updating progress. #266 first improved batch progress; v0.2.3 then documented byte-level reporting for large images.
Check the version, task stage and explicit errors. Do not cancel solely because of 0 KB, and do not wait indefinitely solely because a timer moves. If completed amounts remain unchanged for a long time on a current version, capture the stage and error summary and prepare a report.
Resources still missing on a newer version
- Confirm normal launcher installation versus LC sideloading. Do not mix the two workflows.
- Check whether the computer task finished. If interrupted, restore the connection and retry this game's installation from the launcher.
- If only phone-side import remains, open S2Arm and finish it; do not start another transfer at the same time.
- Record the missing-file or checksum error exactly. A resource problem does not automatically mean you need different keys or another signing account.
Success check: The game appears, resource import ends and launch can begin. For a later black screen or crash, record the runtime problem separately.
Evidence: official release notes, maintainer replies and the #336 reporter's confirmation. This site has not reproduced the device workflow. Continue Windows step 6 or Mac step 6.