How to set a Qt app for Android as a Launcher?

a.burks

Creating a Qt and QML app for Android is very convenient with Qt Creator. It’s perfect for quick prototypes. Is it also possible to setup a Qt app as an Android Launcher. I have realized, that Qt Creator creates the Android project structure in the build directory, that includes the AndroidManifest.xml file.

In Android Studio it’s quite simple to setup an app as a launcher by a small modification for the intend filter:

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

Can I configure my Qt project in a way, that modifies this intend filter?

SGaist

Hi,

AFAIK, you can generate the AndroidManifest.xml for your project within the sources. You can then modify it the way you want it.

a.burks

@sgaist Thanks for your reply. Sounds promising. How can I set up a manifest file? I had a look at the Qt Notifier example project. I assume the following parts of the .pro file are relevant I have to add to my .pro file:

QT += quick androidextras
ANDROID_PACKAGE_SOURCE_DIR = $$PWD/android-sources
OTHER_FILES += \
   android-sources/AndroidManifest.xml

A have also seen, that Qt Creator is able to parse the manifest file and display a form. Here I can define the app name and app icon. Very useful. However the form doesn’t allow to edit the activity and intent filter. So I have to open the text editor.

Do you have a suggestion how to create a manifest file? I may take the one, that is automatically created during the build process of my project?

SGaist

See the Editing Manifest File section in the Android deployment part of the Qt Creator documentation.

a.burks

@sgaist Perfect. This works. Thanks

J.Hilk

@a-burks great that it works for you, don't forget to use the topic tools to set the topic to solved 😉

a.burks

@j-hilk Thanks. I'll do. I just have to test editing the Manifest file to define the app as a launcher. I realized, that I have to switch from the form view to the text view of this file in Qt Creator.

Pablo J. Rogina

This post is deleted!

bassoudilus

Hi All,

I'm also new to this topic,

I used the same intent defintion in androidmanifest xml file but Android is not considering my app to be a launcher app (nothing happens when I press on home button)

    <activity android:name="org.qtproject.qt.android.bindings.QtActivity" android:configChanges="orientation|uiMode|screenLayout|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|layoutDirection|locale|fontScale|keyboard|keyboardHidden|navigation|mcc|mnc|density" android:label="-- %%INSERT_APP_NAME%% --" android:launchMode="singleApp" android:screenOrientation="unspecified" android:exported="true">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
        </intent-filter>
        <meta-data android:name="android.app.lib_name" android:value="-- %%INSERT_APP_LIB_NAME%% --"/>
        <meta-data android:name="android.app.arguments" android:value="-- %%INSERT_APP_ARGUMENTS%% --"/>
        <meta-data android:name="android.app.extract_android_style" android:value="minimal"/>
    </activity>
    <provider android:name="androidx.core.content.FileProvider" android:authorities="${applicationId}.qtprovider" android:exported="false" android:grantUriPermissions="true">
        <meta-data android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS" android:resource="@xml/qtprovider_paths"/>
    </provider>
</application>