How to limit an android app not to be displayed in main menu of the device?

Question

I am installing an app(say app1) progamatically from other app(say app2). All I am trying is that app1 is not displayed in main menu of the device and could be started only by the app2. If this is possible how could I implement this.Please help?

Answer 1

The app1 manifest should not contain any component with

        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>

then it will not be displayed in the Launcher

Answer 2

Replace

 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/> 

in the manifest of app1 with

<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />

Then it will be launched from app2 and wont be displayed in the application list(main menu)

Answer 3

This is quite easy. In your manifest, there is usually an Activity. This Activity has an intent-filter. The entry point of your application contains an intent-filter that looks like:

<intent-filter . . . >
    <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
    <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>

If you don't put those 2 values in the intent-filter, your activity does not appear on the main menu.

Yet, you can still call it directly via any other kind of intent-filter.