Google Meet Android app crash when new meeting link is opened via intent

Question

On Android 11, 10 and lower, the google meet app does not handle the runtime permission defined in it's resolved activity com.google.android.libraries.communications.conference.ui.intents.AssistantNewUrlHandlerActivity

This can be easily reproduced with following code:

​private fun openGoogleMeetUrl() {
    val url = "https://meet.google.com/new"

    val webpage: Uri = Uri.parse(url)
    val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, webpage)
    val resolveActivity = intent.resolveActivity(packageManager)

    if (resolveActivity != null) {
        startActivity(intent)
    } else {
        Log.w("DEBUG_TAG", "Unable to find activity to launch.")
    }
}

Hoping someone from the app team has tag subscription to be notified. If anybody knows a workaround to this crash, let me know. Thanks

Additional Details: https://support.google.com/meet/thread/187185694

---

Crash log:

8199-8199/? E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
    Process: com.example.chromecustomtab, PID: 8199
    java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: starting Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=https://meet.google.com/... cmp=com.google.android.apps.meetings/com.google.android.libraries.communications.conference.ui.intents.AssistantNewUrlHandlerActivity } from ProcessRecord{ea9c15f 8199:com.example.chromecustomtab/u0a152} (pid=8199, uid=10152) requires android.permission.CALL_PHONE
        at android.os.Parcel.createException(Parcel.java:2071)
        at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:2039)
        at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1987)
        at android.app.IActivityTaskManager$Stub$Proxy.startActivity(IActivityTaskManager.java:3851)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.execStartActivity(Instrumentation.java:1705)
        at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:5192)
        at androidx.activity.ComponentActivity.startActivityForResult(ComponentActivity.java:574)
        at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:5150)
        at androidx.activity.ComponentActivity.startActivityForResult(ComponentActivity.java:560)
        at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:5521)
        at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:5489)
        at com.example.chromecustomtab.MainActivity.openWithUrlIntent(MainActivity.kt:40)
        at com.example.chromecustomtab.MainActivity.onCreate$lambda-0(MainActivity.kt:22)
        at com.example.chromecustomtab.MainActivity.$r8$lambda$z3Mks0G0-clLlQbj_fjGy_IFcVM(Unknown Source:0)
        at com.example.chromecustomtab.MainActivity$$ExternalSyntheticLambda0.onClick(Unknown Source:2)
        at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:7125)
        at com.google.android.material.button.MaterialButton.performClick(MaterialButton.java:1119)
        at android.view.View.performClickInternal(View.java:7102)
        at android.view.View.access$3500(View.java:801)
        at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:27336)
        at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:883)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:100)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:214)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7356)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:492)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:930)
     Caused by: android.os.RemoteException: Remote stack trace:
        at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStackSupervisor.checkStartAnyActivityPermission(ActivityStackSupervisor.java:1043)
        at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.startActivity(ActivityStarter.java:760)
        at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.startActivity(ActivityStarter.java:583)
        at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.startActivityMayWait(ActivityStarter.java:1288)
        at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.execute(ActivityStarter.java:514)

Answer 1

Since the runtime exception that is crashing the app is from 3rd party application. Not much can be done.

The workaround, for now, is to handle the issue like following:

try {
    openGoogleMeetUrl()
} catch (e: Exception) {
    Toast.makeText(this, "Unable to open url", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show()
}