Question

While developing a Launcher (Homescreen) application for Android, I’ve come into a security exception I don’t understand.

• When calling the
  [bindAppWidgetId()][1] method from
  within my Launcher Activity, I get
  this security exception :

08-19 11:30:11.689: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(6032): java.lang.SecurityException: bindGagetId appWidgetId=99 provider=ComponentInfo{com.android.music/com.android.music.MediaAppWidgetProvider}: User 10034 does not have android.permission.BIND_APPWIDGET.

I first thought I had forgotten the BIND_APPWIDGET permission in my manifest, but it is definitely there.

The android api documentation states this :

“You need the APPWIDGET_LIST
permission. This method is to be used
by the AppWidget picker.”

I tried to add the permission android.permission.APPWIDGET_LIST, but it doesn’t solve the issue.

Also, I’ve looked at the manifest of the Settings application from the android sources that contains the AppWidgetPickActivity code : there’s a special line that asks to share user id :

“android:sharedUserId=”android.uid.system”

Could it be related to my problem ?

If anyone has an idea that would be great !

Cheers,
Laurent

Answer 1

I’ve found an answer!

BindAppWidgetId() is deliberately not available to applications! (security problems).

“The android.permission.BIND_APPWIDGET
permission is a system permission. You
can only get that permission if your
package is installed as a system
package (installed in /system/app in
stead of /data/app) or sign you app
with a certificate that’s the same as
your android image. So basicly this
means you can only use this permission
if you are also the creator of the
android image on your platform/phone.”

Here are the links to this information :

http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/231245ba6d1e690f/047b9d3f776d7e54?lnk=gst&q=bindAppWidgetId#047b9d3f776d7e54

http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/f24e0f484a79d529/ef84188e8533a125?lnk=gst&q=bindAppWidgetId#ef84188e8533a125