Android App Crashes on Real Device If apk is manually installed

Question

My Application is running fine in Emulators and even in real devices installed by android studio for debugging purpose, but it is crashing if installed manually using apk file.

I am ready to paste any other codes, like Activity if required.

Here is the logcat:

04-14 12:20:44.392 6220-6220/? I/art: Late-enabling -Xcheck:jni
04-14 12:20:44.465 6220-6220/test.planner W/System: ClassLoader referenced unknown path: /data/app/test.planner-1/lib/arm
04-14 12:20:44.467 6220-6220/test.planner I/InstantRun: starting instant run server: is main process
04-14 12:20:44.470 6220-6220/test.planner D/AndroidRuntime: Shutting down VM
04-14 12:20:44.471 6220-6220/test.planner E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: test.planner, PID: 6220
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to instantiate activity ComponentInfo{test.planner/test.planner.MainActivity}: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "test.planner.MainActivity" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/data/app/test.planner-1/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/data/app/test.planner-1/lib/arm, /vendor/lib, /system/lib]]
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2327)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2476)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap11(ActivityThread.java)
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1344)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5417)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
 Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "test.planner.MainActivity" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/data/app/test.planner-1/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/data/app/test.planner-1/lib/arm, /vendor/lib, /system/lib]]
    at dalvik.system.BaseDexClassLoader.findClass(BaseDexClassLoader.java:56)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:511)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:469)
    at android.app.Instrumentation.newActivity(Instrumentation.java:1067)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2317)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2476) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap11(ActivityThread.java) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1344) 
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102) 
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5417) 
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) 
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726) 
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616) 
    Suppressed: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: test.planner.MainActivity
    at java.lang.Class.classForName(Native Method)
    at java.lang.BootClassLoader.findClass(ClassLoader.java:781)
    at java.lang.BootClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:841)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:504)
            ... 12 more
 Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Class not found using the boot class loader; no stack trace available

Answer 1

If you just upgraded your android studio.

You will not have this option to disable -> Instant Run. (not on the menu)

Seems like with new android studio and gradle upgrade in order to install an apk you need to properly build it.

Option 1: with gradle from command line

./gradlew :appName:clean  
./gradlew :appName:build

Option 2: from android studio

Android Studio -> build -> build APK (or generate sighed APK)

The generated apk can be installed fine on a device.

Note: if you start a new applicate with this version of android studio you will see that when you run from studio there is no apk generated anymore.