Install launcher icon in home screen once

Question

When a user installs an Android app, a launcher icon is created in the apps menu. Many users I talk to expect that when they install an app, an icon should appear automatically on their home screen ("launch pad").

A lot of apps achieve this somehow. My preference would be to have a window appear on install asking the user "Do you want to add a shortcut?" If that's not possible, any code that auto-adds the shortcut will do.

Android gives a bunch of code here: http://developer.android.com/resources/samples/ApiDemos/src/com/example/android/apis/app/LauncherShortcuts.html It is implied that adding this code (and the related xml) to your project will do the trick. But it does not have the effect I want. It seems the code provided is passive, and I need to trigger it somehow.

So my question is:

How do I trigger the installation of a shortcut, and how do I make sure it happens only once, preferably triggered by some kind of "app install" event?

PS: A complicating factor is that I am building my app using PhoneGap, meaning the main activity is not "Activity" but "DroidGap".

Turns out an app installed through Android Market will install a launcher shortcut automatically if you include the INSTALL_SHORTCUT permission. But you can't tell until you've published your app: even installing from an APK you download to your phone via other means won't do the trick. — Wytze, Mar 16 '12 at 14:39

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 28 '13 at 09:59

    Intent shortcutIntent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), HomeScreen.class);      
    shortcutIntent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);

    Intent addIntent = new Intent();
    addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INTENT, shortcutIntent);
    addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_NAME, "AIMS ICD");
    addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_ICON_RESOURCE,Intent.ShortcutIconResource.fromContext(getApplicationContext(), R.drawable.aims));
    addIntent.putExtra("duplicate", false);
    addIntent.setAction("com.android.launcher.action.INSTALL_SHORTCUT");
    getApplicationContext().sendBroadcast(addIntent);

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 27 '12 at 05:31

1

In the example, it returns the intent in setResult(...). I believe you need to run sendBroadcast(intent) to trigger installation of the shortcut.

answered Feb 27 '12 at 05:31

triad

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Triad, thanks for this comment. I have tried running sendBroadcast(intent) from different places in both App.java (the main activity) and in LauncherShortcuts.java itself. No result. – Wytze Feb 27 '12 at 09:29
Hm do you also have `` in your `AndroidManifest.xml`? – triad Feb 27 '12 at 09:38
I also noticed the sample code doesn't call `intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_CREATE_SHORTCUT)`, which is also necessary. – triad Feb 27 '12 at 09:45
Hii @triad i implemented the same and successfully created the icon now I am not able to click to launch application using short cut any suggestion would be appreciated .? – Shani Goriwal Mar 02 '15 at 12:46

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 27 '12 at 02:37

0

The class DroidGap extends Activity so you can just add in the code from the link you provided to add a shortcut.

answered Feb 27 '12 at 02:37

Simon MacDonald

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Simon, I tried adding the code from the link. That didn't work. I included LauncherShortcuts.java and LauncherShortcuts.xml, but nothing happens when I install my app. Perhaps you have a more specific idea than I do when you say "add in the code from the link"? – Wytze Feb 27 '12 at 09:29

Install launcher icon in home screen once

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