无需用户交互即可自动更新 APP ==> Permission Denial: not allowed to send broadcast android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED

Question

I want to update the APP automatically when a new version is available without user interaction, suppose a new version is available and it is downloaded to Downloads directory in android.

I followed the following example.

Java Sample: https://stackoverflow.com/a/51705614

Kotlin Sample: https://www.sisik.eu/blog/android/dev-admin/update-app

facing this exception

system_process W/ActivityManager: Permission Denial: not allowed to send broadcast android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED from pid=-1, uid=10191
system_process W/ActivityManager: Unable to send startActivity intent
    java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: not allowed to send broadcast android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED from pid=-1, uid=10191
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.broadcastIntentLocked(ActivityManagerService.java:21323)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.broadcastIntentInPackage(ActivityManagerService.java:21974)
        at com.android.server.am.PendingIntentRecord.sendInner(PendingIntentRecord.java:372)
        at com.android.server.am.PendingIntentRecord.sendWithResult(PendingIntentRecord.java:245)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.sendIntentSender(ActivityManagerService.java:8446)
        at android.content.IntentSender.sendIntent(IntentSender.java:191)
        at android.content.IntentSender.sendIntent(IntentSender.java:155)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageInstallerService$PackageInstallObserverAdapter.onUserActionRequired(PackageInstallerService.java:888)
        at android.app.PackageInstallObserver$1.onUserActionRequired(PackageInstallObserver.java:28)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageInstallerSession.commitLocked(PackageInstallerSession.java:951)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageInstallerSession.access$200(PackageInstallerSession.java:120)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageInstallerSession$3.handleMessage(PackageInstallerSession.java:294)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:193)
        at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:65)

AndroidManifest.xml

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

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/Theme.AutoUpdateAppPractice"
        android:usesCleartextTraffic="true">

        <receiver
            android:name="UpdateReceiver"
            android:enabled="true"
            android:exported="true">

            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_REPLACED" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED" />
            </intent-filter>

        </receiver>

        <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.INSTALL_PACKAGE" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

CustomPackageInstaller.java

package com.odine.autoupdateapppractice;

import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.pm.PackageInstaller;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.util.Log;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.OutputStream;

public class CustomPackageInstaller {

    public static void installPackage(Context context, String installSessionId, String packageName, InputStream apkStream) {

        PackageManager packageManger = context.getPackageManager();
        PackageInstaller packageInstaller = packageManger.getPackageInstaller();

        PackageInstaller.SessionParams params = new PackageInstaller.SessionParams(PackageInstaller.SessionParams.MODE_FULL_INSTALL);

        params.setAppPackageName(packageName);
        PackageInstaller.Session session = null;

        try {
            Log.e(TAG, "installPackage: try");

            int sessionId = packageInstaller.createSession(params);
            session = packageInstaller.openSession(sessionId);
            OutputStream out = session.openWrite(installSessionId, 0, -1);
            byte buffer[] = new byte[1024];
            int length;
            int count = 0;
            while ((length = apkStream.read(buffer)) != -1) {
                out.write(buffer, 0, length);
                count += length;
            }
            session.fsync(out);
            out.close();

            Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_ADDED);
            session.commit(PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, sessionId, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT).getIntentSender());


        } catch (Exception ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "installPackage: catch");
            ex.printStackTrace();

        } finally {
            Log.e(TAG, "installPackage: finally");

            if (session != null) {
                session.close();
            }
        }

    }

}

and inside my MainActivity.java on button click calling CustomPackageInstaller.installPackage() written in above class

 File file= new File(filePath);
 InputStream targetStream = new FileInputStream(file);

 CustomPackageInstaller.installPackage(
                MainActivity.this,
                "2",
                "com.odine.autoupdateapppractice",
                targetStream);

Answer 1

The error message you are getting pretty much tells you what the problem is. You have requested that the package installer notify you on completion by sending a broacast Intent with ACTION = android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED . This broadcast Intent can only be sent by the Android framework. Regular apps cannot send this broadcast Intent .

You should use an explicit Intent , where you specify the component (package name and class name) for this purpose. You can have the package installer launch an Activity or a BroadcastReceiver for this purpose.

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NOTE: Your app must be device owner to be able to do this without user interaction.