Android Studio: App icon doesn't appear in the home screen or app list

Question

I have a serious problem with my self developed app.

Long Story:

I have created an app and developed it on my desktop pc. Because I need to show it to my customer, I decided to install android studio on my Notebook and try the app there. I imported the project on my Notebook and started Android Studio, I ran the project, the app started and worked like always on my smartphone but......when I went back to the homescreen the Icon was missing (while on my desktop pc version was shown) and it wasn't even in the app list, but if I go on "Settings" --> "Manage applications", it's shown there, I can unistall or stop it, but because I don't have an icon I can't start it again if I don't rerun the app with Android Studio. I went back to my desktop pc and tried to rerun the app from there, but nothing changed the icon is still missing.

Short Story: After reinstalling my app on my phone with android studio from my notebook, the app icon is missing from the home screen and application list, but I can see it in "Settings" --> "Manage applications". If I go back to my original pc where I developed the app and try to rerun it, the result is the same...icon missing.

I read all the post that are similar to my problem on Stackoverflow, but nothing helped me to resolve it. I hope that someone can help me about it.

I posted the AndroidManifest.xml if needed but I can't post all the code because of privacy/copyright, sorry. I tried to write in the most correct english I could, I apologize in advance if my writing is horrible.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     package="com.steel.bluetoothdatatransfer" >  <uses-sdk     android:minSdkVersion="12"     android:targetSdkVersion="22" />  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_SMS" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_SMS" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SMS_DELIVER_ACTION" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />  <!-- <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BROADCAST_SMS" /> --> <application     android:allowBackup="true"     android:icon="@drawable/ic_bt"     android:label="@string/app_name"     android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >     <activity         android:name=".MainActivity"         android:label="@string/app_name">         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />              <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />             <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />             <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />              <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />             <action android:name="android.intent.action.SENDTO" />              <data android:scheme="sms" />             <data android:scheme="smsto" />             <data android:scheme="mms" />             <data android:scheme="mmsto" />         </intent-filter>     </activity>      <receiver         android:name=".RecMex"         android:enabled="true"         android:exported="true"         android:permission="android.permission.BROADCAST_SMS" >         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />         </intent-filter>     </receiver>      <!-- BroadcastReceiver that listens for incoming MMS messages -->      <receiver         android:name=".MmsReceiver"         android:enabled="true"         android:exported="true"         android:permission="android.permission.BROADCAST_WAP_PUSH" >         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.WAP_PUSH_DELIVER" />              <data android:mimeType="application/vnd.wap.mms-message" />         </intent-filter>     </receiver>      <!-- Activity that allows the user to send new SMS/MMS messages -->      <activity         android:name=".ComposeSmsActivity"         android:label="@string/title_activity_compose_sms" >         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />             <action android:name="android.intent.action.SENDTO" />              <data android:scheme="sms" />             <data android:scheme="smsto" />             <data android:scheme="mms" />             <data android:scheme="mmsto" />         </intent-filter>     </activity>      <!-- Service that delivers messages from the phone "quick response" -->      <service         android:name=".HeadlessSmsSendService"         android:enabled="true"         android:exported="true"         android:permission="android.permission.SEND_RESPOND_VIA_MESSAGE" >         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.intent.action.RESPOND_VIA_MESSAGE" />              <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />              <data android:scheme="sms" />             <data android:scheme="smsto" />             <data android:scheme="mms" />             <data android:scheme="mmsto" />         </intent-filter>     </service>      <!-- BroadcastReceiver that listens for incoming SMS messages -->     <receiver         android:name=".SmsReceiver"         android:permission="android.permission.BROADCAST_SMS" >         <intent-filter>             <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_DELIVER" />         </intent-filter>     </receiver>      <activity         android:name=".DeviceListActivity"         android:label="@string/intestazione"         android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Dialog"         >     </activity>   </application> 

Answer 1

It is happening because you passed everything into one intent filter. Try to separate them per use case or at least separate Launcher and Main filter.

Like this:

<intent-filter>         <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />         <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" /> </intent-filter> <intent-filter>         <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />         <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />          <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />         <action android:name="android.intent.action.SENDTO" />          <data android:scheme="sms" />         <data android:scheme="smsto" />         <data android:scheme="mms" />         <data android:scheme="mmsto" /> </intent-filter>