Develop Reference

Android safety question using android exported

I'm not an android dev. I used capacitor to convert a web app into an android app. The new sdk 31 changes have required me to add android:exported=true onto the mainActivity tag in androidManifest.xml file since it has intent filters. Basically, in order for my app to be approved by google console I need to add this one property.
ELI5 - is this safe, what does this do ?
<activity
android:name="com.test.MainActivity"
android:exported="true" <---------------------------- this
android:launchMode="singleTask"
>

Yes, it's safe to use exported true is used correctly
The exported attribute is used to define if an activity, service, or receiver in your app is accessible and can be launched from an external application.
As a practical example, if you try to share a file you’ll see a set of applications available. Clicking on one of them will open the activity responsible to handle that file, which means that it’s declared on the Manifest with exported:true.
For more details https://cafonsomota.medium.com/android-12-dont-forget-to-set-android-exported-on-your-activities-services-and-receivers-3bee33f37beb

Android deep link using intent not opening app

I am trying to open an app that I made from mobile chrome browser.
https://developer.chrome.com/multidevice/android/intents
From this link, I figured that I must use the "intent:" syntax to do the job.
However, my app doesn't open. Instead, it opens the Google Play Store, but the store just shows the "item not found" page.
I would love to know if I'm doing anything wrong.
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<data android:scheme="myscheme" android:host="myhost" android:path="/"/>
</intent-filter>
This is the intent filter that I wrote.
var androidIntentUrl = 'intent://myhost/#Intent;scheme=myscheme;package=my.test.app.package;end';
if(!isIOS && isChromeAndBiggerThanVer25()) {
location.href = androidIntentUrl;
}
And this is what I wrote on the web.
Must the app be released on Play Store to make this happen?
I don't quite understand the whole stuff yet.
I want to know what's wrong.
PS) The names "myscheme" and "myhost" are just names that I made up for writing this question. The actual names in my code match those written in my project settings and all, including the package name.

As Alexey commented on my post,
<a href="myscheme://myhost/some/other/parameters">
worked just okay for me.
I double checked the official document (the link on my post) and my chrome version (which is 71), so I have no idea why the intent:// syntax did not work.
I guess there were changes on mobile Chrome after version 25 that I missed or couldn't find.

I just encountered the same problem where linking with Intents did not work but the direct scheme linking did. However, I didn't want to use the direct version to have a fallback redirect to the PlayStore.
The solution was that the package parameter in the intent link did not have to match the package given in the AndroidManifest.xml. I was working with a Unity project and had to use the bundle name given in the project setting.
tl;dr: this is still working in Chrome (v78), but the package parameter is not necessarily the package given in the manifest.

The package parameter should match your application id (found in build.gradle or your AndroidManifest.xml)
The sample code above shows package as my.test.app.package, if this is not your app package name or if the app is not installed, the intent will default to the Google Play Store to search for it. Similarly, it would be best change the host and scheme parameters to something custom to your app if you haven't already.

My answer is to open android application from web app using deep linking:
Flipkart - Open Flipkart!
WhatsApp - Open WhatsApp!
Clash Royale - Open Clash Royale!
FaceBook - Open FaceBook!
If the listed application is installed in your mobile then only it will open or you have to handle the case separately.

CloudOnce not merging correctly the manifest

Using Unity and CloudOnce,
I am implemeting cloudonce in my app withouth successfull, so I started a new project , just added the cloudonce and set up it correctly,
but it crashed, After look up in the logs on logcats the error was
"Using Google Play games services requires a metadata tag with the
name "com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID" in the application tag of
the manifest for com.xxx.xxx"
after further look in the manifest, I miss this
<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID"
android:value="#string/app_id" />
After look in the Plugins/Android/AndroidManifest there is no meta data with the app id either

You can either run the Android setup from the Unity Menu or invoke it statically with the correct values. If you just want to add the app id property to the AndroidManifest.xml, you can escape it with a space to force the parser to interpret the app id as a string. This is what the plugin does when you run setup.
For example:
<!-- The space in these forces it to be interpreted as a string vs. int -->
<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID"
android:value="\ 1213456789" />

Android Facebook ContentProvider and multiple Build Types

I have setup Facebook sharing with the below, build type specific content provider:
<provider
android:name="com.facebook.FacebookContentProvider"
android:authorities="com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProviderXXX${applicationId} ...
applicationId is different per build type, so that I am able to run debug and live builds side by side on one device.
This setup gives me an error on Facebook (image file) sharing:
IllegalStateException: A ContentProvider for this app was not set up in the AndroidManifest.xml, please add com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProviderXXX as a provider to your AndroidManifest.xml file. See https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/android for more info.
How can I overcome this problem? How can I get Facebook to take into account my applicationId?

You Manifest code look like below for facebook login and sharing:
<meta-data
android:name="com.facebook.sdk.ApplicationId"
android:value="#string/{facebook_app_id}" />
<!-- To use Facebook Login or Share, also add the FacebookActivity to the manifest:-->
<activity
android:name="com.facebook.FacebookActivity"
android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|screenLayout|screenSize|orientation"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:theme="#android:style/Theme.Translucent.NoTitleBar" />
<!-- If you're sharing links, images or video via the Facebook for Android app, you also need to declare
the FacebookContentProvider in the manifest. -->
<provider
android:name="com.facebook.FacebookContentProvider"
android:authorities="com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProvider${facebook_app_id}"
android:exported="true" />
NOTE:
Your app is currently live and available to the public.
Follow below step to make your facebook app live and public:
1) Goto https://developers.facebook.com/
2) Select your app and goto App Review tab.
3) Check YES for Your app is currently live and available to the public. option.
See I am new How do I make my app live on FB

Your “applicationId” probably is "com.myname.blabla", and XXX your facebook app id?
I think you should switch to using 2 facebook APP_ID's, and not "applicationId". Put the facebook APP_ID's in your build types and reference them in your manifest. You then don't need to add the "applicationId" from your app.
<provider
android:name="com.facebook.FacebookContentProvider"
android:authorities="com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProvider${FACEBOOK_APP_ID}"
android:exported="true" />

Try with this:
If your APP_ID is 95xxx3xx60xx73xx, then it should be like:
<provider
android:name="com.facebook.FacebookContentProvider"
android:authorities="com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProvider95xxx3xx60xx73xx"
android:exported="true" />
For more information, you can follow this link.

Android Push notifications not recieving

This is driving me really crazy. I am new to Android development but experienced in iOS development. I wanted to implement Parse Push notifications to an Android app and all is going fine:
The devices are registered at Parse
While sending a test Push message the Parse system tells me that the message is received
BUT: I don't receive anything on my Android test devices.
I have already created new Parse Apps and Android Studio projects but without any luck. Any help on debugging this or is this a Android studio related issue?
EDIT: I just followed the Push service quick guide so I added some lines to the Manifest and added this to my code
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_inlog);
Parse.initialize(this, "xxx", "xxx");
ParseFacebookUtils.initialize("1515015192073818");
ParseInstallation.getCurrentInstallation().saveInBackground();
Manifest:
<receiver android:name="com.parse.GcmBroadcastReceiver"
android:permission="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.SEND">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.RECEIVE" />
<action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION" />
<!--
IMPORTANT: Change "com.parse.starter" to match your app's package name.
-->
<category android:name="com.pootentieel.andrew.sbpootentieel" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>

Did you changed com.parse.starter to match your package name and have you registered push callback receiver activity?
EDIT:
goto this link github.com/ParsePlatform/PushTutorial and import the android project and change the keys. Then run the android project and send a push to see if it works. If it works check both the projects side by side to see what is causing the problem. Please mark this answer as correct if it helped thanks :)