launch_app() alternative in Appium for Python

Question

I am performing mobile automation on a real device. With Appium 2.0, I was facing issues while launching the app, so I was using the launch_app() method to hard launch it every time I ran it.

But with the latest Appium-Python-Client (v3.0.0) launch_app() method has been deprecated.

And without launch_app(), my app rarely launches. Below is my code for reference.

class MyAPP:
    @log
    def __init__(self,device_name:str=DEVICE_NAME, environment:str=DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT)->None:
        self.environment                                           = environment
        envPackage                                                 = '.staging' if environment=="Staging" else ''
        desiredCapabilities                                        = {}
        desiredCapabilities["appium:deviceName"]                   = device_name
        desiredCapabilities["appium:automationName"]               = AUTOMATION_NAME
        desiredCapabilities["appium:platformName"]                 = PLATFORM_NAME
        desiredCapabilities["appium:platformVersion"]              = ANDROID_VERSION
        desiredCapabilities["appium:appPackage"]                   = f'{APP_PACKAGE}{envPackage}' #APP_PACKAGE
        desiredCapabilities["appium:appActivity"]                  = APP_ACTIVITY
        desiredCapabilities["appium:instrumentApp"]                = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:ensureWebviewsHavePages"]      = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:nativeWebScreenshot"]          = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:newCommandTimeout"]            = NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT
        desiredCapabilities["appium:connectHardwareKeyboard"]      = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:noReset"]                      = True
        options = UiAutomator2Options()
        options.load_capabilities(desiredCapabilities)

        # starting session based on set capabilities
        self.driver = webdriver.Remote(SERVER_URL, options=options)
        
        # hard launch app 
        self.driver.launch_app()    #### deprecated 

I tried to go through the documentation, but I did not get anything. How can I fix it?

Answer 1

You can just try with:

self.driver.startActivity(".appPackage", ".appActivity")

It will bring your app to the main thread.

Answer 2

With Appium-Python-Client v3.0.0, you can use the following code:

import logging
from appium import webdriver
from appium.options.uiautomator2 import UiAutomator2Options

class MyAPP:
    @logging.log
    def __init__(self, device_name: str=DEVICE_NAME, environment: str=DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT)->None:
        self.environment = environment
        envPackage = '.staging' if environment=="Staging" else ''
        desiredCapabilities = {}
        desiredCapabilities["appium:deviceName"] = device_name
        desiredCapabilities["appium:automationName"] = AUTOMATION_NAME
        desiredCapabilities["appium:platformName"] = PLATFORM_NAME
        desiredCapabilities["appium:platformVersion"] = ANDROID_VERSION
        desiredCapabilities["appium:appPackage"] = f'{APP_PACKAGE}{envPackage}' #APP_PACKAGE
        desiredCapabilities["appium:appActivity"] = APP_ACTIVITY
        desiredCapabilities["appium:instrumentApp"] = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:ensureWebviewsHavePages"] = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:nativeWebScreenshot"] = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:newCommandTimeout"] = NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT
        desiredCapabilities["appium:connectHardwareKeyboard"] = True
        desiredCapabilities["appium:noReset"] = True
        options = UiAutomator2Options()
        options.load_capabilities(desiredCapabilities)

        # Starting session based on set capabilities
        self.driver = webdriver.Remote(SERVER_URL, options=options)

        # Start the app
        self.driver.start_activity(desiredCapabilities["appium:appPackage"], desiredCapabilities["appium:appActivity"])

The main change is to use the start_activity() method instead of the launch_app() method. The start_activity() method is the new recommended way to start an app in Appium-Python-Client v3.0.0.