How can we automate built-in apps with appium?

Support
1

I’m trying to automate something on built-in apps (phone, calendar, camera), but without success. I’m putting the following code to run, using a real device:

public class IncludeContact {
public static void main(String[] args) throws MalformedURLException {
DesiredCapabilities cap = new DesiredCapabilities();
cap.setCapability(MobileCapabilityType.PLATFORM_NAME, MobilePlatform.ANDROID);
cap.setCapability(MobileCapabilityType.DEVICE_NAME, “Galaxy J7 (2016)”);
cap.setCapability(MobileCapabilityType.NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT, “100”);
cap.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.APP_PACKAGE, “com.samsung.android.contacts”);
cap.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.APP_ACTIVITY, “com.samsung.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity”);

            AndroidDriver driver = new AndroidDriver(new URL("http://127.0.0.1:4723/wd/hub"),cap);
   }

}

But it returns the following error when I run it into Eclipse:

Exception in thread “main” org.openqa.selenium.SessionNotCreatedException: Unable to create new remote session. desired capabilities = Capabilities [{appPackage=com.samsung.android.contacts, appActivity=com.samsung.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity, newCommandTimeout=100, platformName=Android, deviceName=Galaxy J7 (2016)}], required capabilities = Capabilities [{}]
Build info: version: ‘unknown’, revision: ‘5234b32’, time: ‘2017-03-10 09:00:17 -0800’
System info: host: ‘VAL-KELY’, ip: ‘105.112.146.114’, os.name: ‘Windows 7’, os.arch: ‘amd64’, os.version: ‘6.1’, java.version: ‘1.8.0_151’
Driver info: driver.version: AndroidDriver
at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumProtocolHandShake.lambda$1(AppiumProtocolHandShake.java:95)
at java.util.Optional.orElseThrow(Unknown Source)
at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumProtocolHandShake.createSession(AppiumProtocolHandShake.java:95)
at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumCommandExecutor.doExecute(AppiumCommandExecutor.java:111)
at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumCommandExecutor.execute(AppiumCommandExecutor.java:162)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:604)
at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileDriver.execute(DefaultGenericMobileDriver.java:42)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.execute(AppiumDriver.java:1)
at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver.execute(AndroidDriver.java:1)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.startSession(RemoteWebDriver.java:244)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.(RemoteWebDriver.java:131)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.(RemoteWebDriver.java:144)
at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileDriver.(DefaultGenericMobileDriver.java:38)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.(AppiumDriver.java:88)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.(AppiumDriver.java:112)
at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver.(AndroidDriver.java:73)
at wakeup.IncludeContact.main(IncludeContact.java:56)

Or the follow error when I run it into IntelliJ IDEA:

Exception in thread “main” org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Original 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 (WARNING: The server did not provide any stacktrace information)
Command duration or timeout: 57.49 seconds
Build info: version: ‘3.7.1’, revision: ‘8a0099a’, time: ‘2017-11-06T21:01:39.354Z’
System info: host: ‘VAL-KELY’, ip: ‘105.112.146.114’, os.name: ‘Windows 7’, os.arch: ‘amd64’, os.version: ‘6.1’, java.version: ‘1.8.0_151’
Driver info: driver.version: AndroidDriver
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:423)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.createThrowable(ErrorHandler.java:214)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.throwIfResponseFailed(ErrorHandler.java:166)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.JsonWireProtocolResponse.lambda$new$0(JsonWireProtocolResponse.java:53)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.JsonWireProtocolResponse.lambda$getResponseFunction$2(JsonWireProtocolResponse.java:91)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ProtocolHandshake.lambda$createSession$0(ProtocolHandshake.java:123)
at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:193)
at java.util.Spliterators$ArraySpliterator.tryAdvance(Spliterators.java:958)
at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.forEachWithCancel(ReferencePipeline.java:126)
at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyIntoWithCancel(AbstractPipeline.java:498)
at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:485)
at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.wrapAndCopyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:471)
at java.util.stream.FindOps$FindOp.evaluateSequential(FindOps.java:152)
at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluate(AbstractPipeline.java:234)
at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.findFirst(ReferencePipeline.java:464)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ProtocolHandshake.createSession(ProtocolHandshake.java:126)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ProtocolHandshake.createSession(ProtocolHandshake.java:73)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.HttpCommandExecutor.execute(HttpCommandExecutor.java:142)
at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumCommandExecutor.execute(AppiumCommandExecutor.java:89)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:600)
at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileDriver.execute(DefaultGenericMobileDriver.java:42)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.execute(AppiumDriver.java:1)
at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver.execute(AndroidDriver.java:1)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.startSession(RemoteWebDriver.java:219)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.(RemoteWebDriver.java:142)
at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileDriver.(DefaultGenericMobileDriver.java:38)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.(AppiumDriver.java:83)
at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.(AppiumDriver.java:93)
at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver.(AndroidDriver.java:72)
at tests.IncludeContact.main(IncludeContact.java:26)

Process finished with exit code 1

I need help. I’m thinking if it is necessary to root the device (I’m afraid because maybe I can’t do it). Can someone help me?

2

@kelymacielbp you trying to start PeopleActivity activity BUT this activity not allowed to start. it can appear later BUT to start you need to use other activity from contacts app. To check what activity can be started you need connect phone in debug mode -> open debug console to see logs -> clear console logs and start contacts.

Now examine logs and see what very first activity of contacts app started and use it.

3

Here I showed a demo using built-in app

4

Thank you @Aleksei, I’ll try to do that.

5

Thank you @Free_Automation.

6

Hello, the very first activity of contacts is “com.android.dialer.DialtactsActivity”.
So, I replaced the line

cap.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.APP_ACTIVITY, “com.samsung.android.contacts.activities.PeopleActivity”);

to

cap.setCapability(AndroidMobileCapabilityType.APP_ACTIVITY, “com.android.dialer.DialtactsActivity”);

and it worked.

Thanks