com.google.ar.core required breaks ArCoreApk.getInstance().checkAvailability(context)

[abbana]

SPECIFIC ISSUE ENCOUNTERED

When "com.google.ar.core" ="required"
ArCoreApk.Availability availability = ArCoreApk.getInstance().checkAvailability(this);
returns UNKNOWN_ERROR

When "com.google.ar.core" ="optional"
ArCoreApk.Availability availability = ArCoreApk.getInstance().checkAvailability(this);
returns SUPPORTED_INSTALLED

VERSIONS USED

• Android Studio: 3.5.2
• ARCore SDK for Android: implementation 'com.google.ar:core:1.25.0'
• Device manufacturer, model, and O/S: Samsung SM-991B
• Google Play Services for AR (ARCore): Installed, latest
• Output of adb shell getprop ro.build.fingerprint: samsung/o1sxeea/o1s:11/RP1A.200720.012/G991BXXU3AUF6:user/release-keys

STEPS TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE

See above

WORKAROUNDS (IF ANY)

None

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Need this to work as the app is Arcore Required

[abbana]

Using workaround

[inio]

This issue was just discovered during some internal testing, and I'm surprised that this is the only public report of it that I can find. It likely affects any side-loaded AR Optional app with targetSdkVersion of at least 30 on a device running at least Android 11. Apps installed through the Play Store will not experience this issue.

As an immediate fix, please try adding this to your app manifest (at the top level within the <manifest> block):

  <queries>
    <package android:name="com.android.vending" />
  </queries>

If you already have a <queries> block add just the <package ...> element to it.

This should be fixed in a future release of the ARCore SDK by incorporating the above snippet into the ARCore AAR..

P.S. The reason optional vs. required created different behavior is that the SDK assumes that apps marked required at the manifest level will only be installed on supported devices.

P.P.S. No, I'm not really back. I just got roped in to the debug of this because I was the one that built it.