Cannot run Android app through adb or Appium because of SecurityException: Permission Denial

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I try to do test automation of Android app. I have activity name and package name from the developer, so it is correct. I have a problem with access to activity.

I researched a lot and I've seen a few similar threads, like those:

Android: java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: start Intent https://discuss.appium.io/t/error-a-new-session-could-not-be-created-for-android-appium/2571

When I type ./adb shell am start com.companyname.appname/com.companyname.appname.activities.MainActivity I get following message:

Starting: Intent { act=android.intent.action.MAIN cat=[android.intent.category.LAUNCHER] cmp=com.companyname.appname/.activities.MainActivity }
java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: starting Intent { act=android.intent.action.MAIN cat=[android.intent.category.LAUNCHER] flg=0x10000000 cmp=com.companyname.appname/.activities.MainActivity } from null (pid=13786, uid=2000) not exported from uid 10101
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1465)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1419)
    at android.app.ActivityManagerProxy.startActivityAsUser(ActivityManagerNative.java:2133)
    at com.android.commands.am.Am.runStart(Am.java:680)
    at com.android.commands.am.Am.onRun(Am.java:270)
    at com.android.internal.os.BaseCommand.run(BaseCommand.java:47)
    at com.android.commands.am.Am.main(Am.java:76)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.nativeFinishInit(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.main(RuntimeInit.java:243)
    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

When I try to run the app using Appium, it throws following:

[31mMessage: [0m[31morg.openqa.selenium.SessionNotCreatedException: A new session could not be created. (Original error: Permission to start activity denied.) (WARNING: The server did not provide any stacktrace information)
Command duration or timeout: 9.86 seconds
Build info: version: '2.44.0', revision: '76d78cf', time: '2014-10-23 20:02:37'
System info: host: 'mareks-Air', ip: '192.168.1.21', os.name: 'Mac OS X', os.arch: 'x86_64', os.version: '10.10.2', java.version: '1.8.0_31'
Driver info: io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
    at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:408)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.createThrowable(ErrorHandler.java:204)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.throwIfResponseFailed(ErrorHandler.java:156)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:599)
    at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.execute(AppiumDriver.java:95)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.startSession(RemoteWebDriver.java:240)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.<init>(RemoteWebDriver.java:126)
    at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.<init>(RemoteWebDriver.java:153)
    at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.<init>(AppiumDriver.java:49)
    at com.companyname.appname.core.AndroidConfig.initDriver(AndroidConfig.java:45)
    at com.companyname.appname.stepdefinitions.android.SetUpStepDefs.beforeScenario(SetUpStepDefs.java:21)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:483)
    at cucumber.runtime.Utils$1.call(Utils.java:34)
    at cucumber.runtime.Timeout.timeout(Timeout.java:13)
    at cucumber.runtime.Utils.invoke(Utils.java:30)
    at cucumber.runtime.java.JavaHookDefinition.execute(JavaHookDefinition.java:59)
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.runHookIfTagsMatch(Runtime.java:222)
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.runHooks(Runtime.java:210)
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.runBeforeHooks(Runtime.java:200)
    at cucumber.runtime.model.CucumberScenario.run(CucumberScenario.java:44)
    at cucumber.runtime.junit.ExecutionUnitRunner.run(ExecutionUnitRunner.java:91)
    at cucumber.runtime.junit.FeatureRunner.runChild(FeatureRunner.java:63)
    at cucumber.runtime.junit.FeatureRunner.runChild(FeatureRunner.java:18)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:238)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:63)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:236)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:53)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:229)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:309)
    at cucumber.runtime.junit.FeatureRunner.run(FeatureRunner.java:70)
    at cucumber.api.junit.Cucumber.runChild(Cucumber.java:89)
    at cucumber.api.junit.Cucumber.runChild(Cucumber.java:40)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:238)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:63)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:236)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:53)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:229)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:309)
    at cucumber.api.junit.Cucumber.run(Cucumber.java:94)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:50)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:459)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:675)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:382)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:192)
[0m

My manifest file looks like this: 

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_TASKS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

<!-- GCM Permisions -->
<permission
    android:name="com.companyname.appname.permission.C2D_MESSAGE"
    android:protectionLevel="signature" />

<uses-permission android:name="com.companyname.appname.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />

<!-- &lt;!&ndash; To auto-complete the email text field in the login form with the user's emails &ndash;&gt; -->
<!-- <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS" /> -->
<!-- <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PROFILE" /> -->
<!-- <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS" /> -->
<application
    android:name=".MyAppName"
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:configChanges="locale"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:logo="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
    <meta-data
        android:name="io.fabric.ApiKey"
        android:value="a602ec90eb6f41f23ad19b0cd98aeb92fe3170a2" />

    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.otherActivities.LoginActivity"
        android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|screenSize"
        android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize|stateVisible">
        <intent-filter android:label="@string/app_name">
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"
                android:exported="true"/>


            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
    <activity
        android:name=".activities.MainActivity"
        android:configChanges="locale"
        android:label="@string/app_name">
    </activity>
    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.SubActivities.CalendarActivity"
        android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|screenSize" />
    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.SubActivities.SurveyActivity"
        android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|screenSize" />
    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.SubActivities.ShowContentActivity"
        android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|screenSize" />
    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.otherActivities.SettingsActivity"
        android:label="Settings" />
    <activity
        android:name=".database.sql.AndroidDatabaseManager"
        android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light" />

    <provider
        android:name=".database.sql.providers.SurveyProvider"
        android:authorities="com.companyname.appname.survey"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:exported="false" />
    <provider
        android:name=".database.sql.providers.MainProvider"
        android:authorities="com.companyname.appname.main"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:exported="false" />

    <!-- GCM Stuff -->
    <receiver
        android:name=".gcm.GcmBroadcastReceiver"
        android:permission="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.SEND" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.RECEIVE" />

            <category android:name="com.companyname.appname" />
        </intent-filter>
    </receiver>

    <service android:name=".gcm.GcmIntentService" />

    <activity
        android:name=".activities.fragments.SubActivities.PrivacyPolicyActivity"
        android:label="@string/title_activity_privacy_policy"></activity>
</application>

android
adb
manifest
appium
asked on Stack Overflow May 19, 2015 by kiedysktos • edited May 23, 2017 by Community

6 Answers

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After some research I've found there reason of my exception.

The developers used fragments for developing the app, so com.companyname.appname.activities.MainActivity that I used was not main activity anymore.

Instead, I used first used activity:

com.companyname.appname.activities.fragments.otherActivities.LoginActivity
answered on Stack Overflow May 19, 2015 by kiedysktos
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4
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The problem is the activity you run is not launcher activity. I found a work way.

In terminal, run adb shell

In emulator or device, right after you click on app icon, run in terminal dumpsys window windows | grep -E 'mCurrentFocus'

You should found the launcher activity in terminal

answered on Stack Overflow May 31, 2018 by Lê Vũ Huy
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4
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Firstly, run this command on the cmd;

adb shell

dumpsys window windows | grep -E 'mCurrentFocus'

After running, if you are sure that your appPackage and appActivity names are correct; check that whether there is a condition to start the activity you are trying.

For example; Lets say, your application requires login operation before accessing the MainActivity.

Trying to start com.test.activities.MainActivity will give a permission error. You need the start com.test.activities.LoginActivity first to reach MainActivity.

answered on Stack Overflow Nov 15, 2018 by Yunus Emre
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If your android device has been rooted, you can start any Activity of your app through ADB command; if not root, you just can start MainActivity of app. Eg:

D:>adb shell su (enter key)

am start -n com.test.myapp/com.test.myapp.ui.AboutActivity

answered on Stack Overflow Aug 1, 2015 by beijing_zbs
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I have faced this issue, and found appium has taken wrong activity. Chose correct one . It will run fine.

To chose right activity : see appium log file. ie. after your package name.

And i am sure it is work .

answered on Stack Overflow Jul 19, 2016 by Tanmoy Ray
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In our case the launcher activity was the Splash screen. Changing this solved the problem as it's the activity that appears before the login page for our app.

answered on Stack Overflow Aug 9, 2019 by Francislainy Campos

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