# Activity used to start app doesn't exist or cannot be launched! Make sure it exists and is a launchable activity

**URL:** <https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [August 14, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216 "2017-08-14T20:53:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/1 "2017-08-14T20:53:43Z")

</div>

Hello, I am new to Appium and Selenium WebDriver so the question may be a bit easy to some of you.

- Appium Version: 1.6.5
- OS: Windows 10

Basically this is my code written in Java and this is the error I am getting:

> ` capabilities.setCapability("platformVersion", "5.5");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("deviceName", "nexus_5x");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("avd", "nexus_5x");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("app", "C:\\Users\\juanvidal\\projects\\automation\\src\\test\\resources\\apps\\tu-admin.apk");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("appPackage", "com.jcor.laadministracion");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("appActivity", ".activities.MainActivity");`  
> ` //Fixed Properties`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("appium-version", "1.6");`  
> ` capabilities.setCapability("platformName", "Android");`

Error from Appium:

> `[MJSONWP] Encountered internal error running command: Error: Error occured while starting App. Original error: Activity used to start app doesn't exist or cannot be launched! Make sure it exists and is a launchable activity at Object.wrappedLogger.errorAndThrow (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\appium-support\lib\logging.js:63:13) at ADB.callee$0$0$ (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\appium-adb\lib\tools\apk-utils.js:79:9) at tryCatch (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\babel-runtime\regenerator\runtime.js:67:40) at GeneratorFunctionPrototype.invoke [as _invoke] (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\babel-runtime\regenerator\runtime.js:315:22) at GeneratorFunctionPrototype.prototype.(anonymous function) [as next] (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\babel-runtime\regenerator\runtime.js:100:21) at GeneratorFunctionPrototype.invoke (C:\Users\juanvidal\AppData\Local\Programs\appium-desktop\resources\app\node_modules\appium\node_modules\babel-runtime\regenerator\runtime.js:136:37) at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:103:7)`

Thanks in advance for your time!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/2 "2017-08-14T21:21:23Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal try:

1. remove “appActivity”
2. will not help add “appWaitActivity”

```auto
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.*");

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/3 "2017-08-14T22:42:20Z")

</div>

Hi @Aleksei, thanks for the fast answer!

I tried what you suggested, even left the “appActivity” line with no luck at all!

Please let me know anything you need from my side to try to figure this out.

Cheers,

Juan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/4 "2017-08-15T06:57:05Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal post full appium log at [https://gist.github.com/](https://gist.github.com/)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 10:36am UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/5 "2017-08-15T10:36:33Z")

</div>

Hi @Aleksei, thanks for getting back to me.

Here’s the [gist](https://gist.github.com/juanmartinvidal/f9ebb1f6cf804f1161dfce69280531c6) with the complete Log from Appium since I started the server.

Let me know if there’s anything else you need from my side.

And in my [MANIFEST](https://gist.github.com/juanmartinvidal/0fc44e127bd18211f51f4ddf8495d43f) in the Android app this is my main activity.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 10:59am UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/6 "2017-08-15T10:59:48Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal

1. remove “appPackage” (it will get from apk automatically) and “appActivity” (this is needed when you start existing app on phone)
2. add:

```auto
capabilities.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.APP_WAIT_ACTIVITY, ".activities.MainActivity");
// or
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.MainActivity");

```

if it fails check appium logs again to see what activity started instead

SO! total once again:

```auto
capabilities.setCapability("automationName", "Appium"); // can be values "Appium", "Selendroid", "XCuiTest", "UIAutomator2", "espresso"
capabilities.setCapability("platformVersion", "5.5");
capabilities.setCapability("deviceName", "nexus_5x");
capabilities.setCapability("avd", "nexus_5x");
capabilities.setCapability("app", "C:\\Users\\juanvidal\\projects\\automation\\src\\test\\resources\\apps\\tu-admin.apk");
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.MainActivity");
capabilities.setCapability("platformName", "Android");
capabilities.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.AUTO_GRANT_PERMISSIONS, "true"); //valid from Android 6.0

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 11:35am UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/7 "2017-08-15T11:35:42Z")

</div>

@Aleksei

With your last suggestions now it starts up the app and I was able to login in my VM.

In the logs it says `[ADB] Found package: 'com.jcor.tuadmin' and fully qualified activity name : 'com.jcor.laadministracion.activities.ListUserFunctionalUnitActivity'`

and because it doesn’t find the MainActivity it shuts down.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 11:59am UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/8 "2017-08-15T11:59:00Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal so the only change now is:

```auto
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.ListUserFunctionalUnitActivity");
// or try
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.*");

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:02pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/9 "2017-08-15T12:02:23Z")

</div>

@Aleksei

Exactly, this is what I have now:

> //Configurable properties  
> capabilities.setCapability(“platformVersion”, “5.5”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“deviceName”, “nexus\_5x”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“avd”, “nexus\_5x”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“app”, “C:\Users\juanvidal\projects\automation\src\test\resources\apps\tu-admin.apk”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“appWaitActivity”, “.activities.ListUserFunctionalUnitActivity”);

```
    //Fixed Properties
    capabilities.setCapability("platformName", "Android");
    capabilities.setCapability("automationName", "Appium");
    capabilities.setCapability("appium-version", "1.6"); 

```

This is what I **had** :

> //Configurable properties  
> capabilities.setCapability(“platformVersion”, “5.5”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“deviceName”, “nexus\_5x”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“avd”, “nexus\_5x”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“app”, “C:\Users\juanvidal\projects\automation\resources\apps\flipkart.apk”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“appPackage”, “com.flipkart.android”);  
> capabilities.setCapability(“appActivity”, “com.flipkart.android.SplashActivity”);

```
    //Fixed Properties
    capabilities.setCapability("appium-version", "1.6");
    capabilities.setCapability("platformName", "Android");

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/10 "2017-08-15T12:32:39Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal and any problem with latest config?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/11 "2017-08-15T12:39:11Z")

</div>

@Aleksei

Actually the initial problem was solved because now my VM loads my apk and shows the Login Page. I manually login and so far so good, but in Appium I see the error I mentioned before `[ADB] Found package: 'com.jcor.tuadmin' and fully qualified activity name : 'com.jcor.laadministracion.activities.ListUserFunctionalUnitActivity'` and it stops the app in the VM.

I tried changing the config to point to that Activity instead of the `MainActivity` one but no luck, same error.

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/12 "2017-08-15T12:40:41Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal update to

```auto
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", ".activities.*");

```

this should allow any after \*

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/13 "2017-08-15T12:53:27Z")

</div>

@Aleksei,

that didn’t help either. I think I found the error but I wanted to hear your thoughs.

With `.activities.*` or with `.activities.MainActivity` I get an error like this in Appium before it shuts down the app in the VM: `[MJSONWP] Encountered internal error running command: Error: Error occured while starting App. Original error: com.jcor.tuadmin.activities.* never started`

So in the original package name was `com.jcor.laadministracion` and then we changed it in the configuration files but not in the code itself.

If I add the `appPackage` capability to set the right package name it fails with the old error.

Could it be that the only fix here is to match the configuration package name with the actual code package name??

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/14 "2017-08-15T13:02:24Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal may you just connect to android studio with phone. start client and check what full package name + activity starting? e.g. when i am starting “Contacts” on mine LG G4 i have message like:

```auto
08-15 16:00:31.141 1474-3484/? I/ActivityManager: START u0 {act=android.intent.action.MAIN cat=[android.intent.category.LAUNCHER] flg=0x10200000 cmp=com.android.contacts/.activities.DialtactsActivity bnds=[0,2128][288,2392]} from uid 10053 on display 0

```

where i have “com.android.contacts” package name, “.activities.DialtactsActivity” activity started

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/15 "2017-08-15T13:04:20Z")

</div>

@Aleksei, sure thing I can try that!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/16 "2017-08-15T13:42:52Z")

</div>

@Aleksei

Got the info for you:

> 08-15 10:33:13.304 898-1279/? I/ActivityManager: START u0 {act=android.intent.action.MAIN cat=[android.intent.category.LAUNCHER] flg=0x10000000 cmp=com.jcor.tuadmin/com.jcor.laadministracion.activities.MainActivity} from uid 2000 on display 0

That shows exactly what I was trying to explain. The real package in the source code is `com.jcor.laadministracion` while in the config files is `com.jcor.tuadmin`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/17 "2017-08-17T12:00:57Z")

</div>

@Aleksei, hi there!

Sorry to bother you but did you get a chance to look at my last msg?

Thanks in advance for your time!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/aleksei/32/6267_2.png) [@Aleksei](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Aleksei)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/18 "2017-08-17T12:05:02Z")

</div>

@juanmartinvidal did you try with:

```auto
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", "com.jcor.laadministracion.activities.MainActivity");
// or
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", "com.jcor.laadministracion.activities.*");
// or maybe even
capabilities.setCapability("appWaitActivity", "*");

```

?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@juanmartinvidal](https://discuss.appium.io/u/juanmartinvidal)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/19 "2017-08-17T12:19:23Z")

</div>

@Aleksei

First option worked! Thanks a lot for all your help! We can consider this ticket Solved.

Cheers!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Free\_Automation](https://discuss.appium.io/user_avatar/discuss.appium.io/free_automation/32/3493_2.png) [@Free\_Automation](https://discuss.appium.io/u/Free_Automation)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216/20 "2017-08-23T18:53:49Z")

</div>

You can watch these videos : [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXbcghgSZDroz9nez1IrbL2hnMVJ0ba1W](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXbcghgSZDroz9nez1IrbL2hnMVJ0ba1W)

[Next page](https://discuss.appium.io/t/activity-used-to-start-app-doesnt-exist-or-cannot-be-launched-make-sure-it-exists-and-is-a-launchable-activity/18216.md?page=2)