Targeting AndroidSdk 30, webIntent.ACTION_VIEW is broken on Android phone With Android 11

[Stephane84]

Hello, My version of this plugin is 2.0.0 cordova-android 9.0.0 cordova cli 10.0.0

I'm building an ionic5 app, and have a problem on Android when targetting AndroidSdk 30 (For Android 11 needed by November 2021 : https://developer.android.com/distribute/play-policies#APILevel30 ) I try to open another app with extra from an Deeplink URL using WebIntent like this :

const options: IntentOptions = {
    action: this.webIntent.ACTION_VIEW,
    url: https://url-for-deeplink,
    extras: {
        returnBundle: {returnJson: "somthing"},
    },
};

this.webIntent.startActivity(options).then(() => {
    // deeplink is opened ko
}, () => {
    // Error during opening deeplink
});

On an Android 11 phone, it works well when i'm targetting AndroidSdk 29 using cordova-android@9.0.0 But, By November 2021, we must target AndroidSdk 30, and adding in my config.xml this : <preference name="android-targetSdkVersion" value="30" /> The startActivity doesn't work, there is an error wich say : Error

I think it is because of the permission QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES : https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10158779?hl=en

I can't use other cordova plugin to open other app just with package name for exemple, because i need to send in param of this app json (what i did in the exemple with "extras")

It is just broken on Android phone 11 (below is ok) when targetting sdk30 I can't add the QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission to my app becase my app is not sensible as explain here by google : https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10158779?hl=en#

Is there a way to fix this ?

Thanks for help

[darryncampbell]

Hi, is QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES a permission you are adding? I don't see that this plugin requests it. If so, please see https://developer.android.com/training/package-visibility for the workarounds for A11 package visibility changes.

[Stephane84]

If i add QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES permission, then it works on A11 phones when my app targetting AndroidSdk 30. But if i add this permission, my app will be strike by google, because it is not a legitime permission. I only need to see the app i want to open, and not all the apps. It is explain there : https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10158779?hl=en#zippy=%2Cpermitted-uses-of-the-query-all-packages-permission

[darryncampbell]

Wouldn't you use the queries element in that case? https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/queries-element

[Stephane84]

Thanks for your help I have not allready try "queries" , so i will test it It's not my first priority but i will write results of my tests in many days / week ! I didn't think someone could help me as fast !

[Stephane84]

Hello, i can confirm that adding with package of the app i intent, in AndroidManifest.xml is solving my bug

It is sad, because i used a deeplink before, and didn't need to know the package of the app. Now, yes.

I'm looking for how to add it in a proper way, from config.xml with edit-config for exemple, but, there is still another bug with this : https://github.com/apache/cordova-android/issues/1245

Moreover, if the app is not installed, my intent using deeplink return ko. So i need to check before if the app is installed, with cordova-plugin-appavailability, and if yes, processing my intent, if no, just open with inappbrowser my deeplink url

To conclude, queries was necessary like you said darryncampbell

[darryncampbell]

Moreover, if the app is not installed, my intent using deeplink return ko. So i need to check before if the app is installed, with cordova-plugin-appavailability, and if yes, processing my intent, if no, just open with inappbrowser my deeplink url

Not sure if this is completely relevant to you but I remember reading about FLAG_ACTIVITY_REQUIRE_NON_BROWSER from https://medium.com/androiddevelopers/package-visibility-in-android-11-cc857f221cd9, sounds like it could be useful here?

[Stephane84]

Well, the only error i have from the native interface of ionic is the string "error" :

this.webIntent.startActivity(options).then(() => {
    // deeplink is opened ok
}, (error) => {
console.log(error) // => error is not an object, juste the string "error"
});

I don't think, the native error code is propagate, older nor newer

The check of the app installed works, i'll continue with this for the moment

Thanks again

[Stephane84]

So the final solution is to add queries via config-file in config.xml like this :

<config-file target="AndroidManifest.xml" parent="/manifest" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <queries>
        <package android:name="my.package.name1"/>
        <package android:name="my.package.name2"/>
    </queries>
</config-file>