LauncherHijack disappears/won't open after installation about launcherhijack

[Brodie01]

Someone at xda posted a modified apk. Use at your own risk. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79434906&postcount=395

[RobotechMaster]

I suspect that they just added it to whatever blacklist option they use to block malware apps with known names from running on their device--because it was easy to do and didn't cost any programmer hours to implement. Whether they decide it's worth actually spending the money to implement a more involved software block, who can say? As noted, changing the app name and rebuilding (or cloning) seems to work just fine.

Given that the Fire is sold so cheaply because part of the purchase price is subsidized by all the Amazon media you're assumed to be consuming with it, you can sort of see why they'd want to keep their media-pushing launcher in your face. It's just a pity that they didn't bother trying to improve the launcher to where people would want to keep using it, rather than prevent you from adding a new one.

[darthyoshiboy]

I built the project after renaming the package (Not going to say what to for reasons I'm about to go into) and changing the service android:label (Just because "To detect home button press" has always been more verbose than I cared for and so long as I was kicking things, why not? I only mention that I changed it in case it has anything to do with my success) in the AndroidManifest.xml and it installs and works without issues.

Amazon appear to have blacklisted the package name as my first shot at changing it to anything else worked fine. Once I renamed and built the package under a new name, it fires right up and works as well as anything. Running as com.somethingelse.anothersomething with no other changes (other than the service label as mentioned) seems to have gotten it going without issues.

[CleverGato]

I just came across this particular issue as well. Hopefully there's a fix in the near future. FireHD 10.

[ugoplatamia]

[ugoplatamia]

I tried using the Amazon Fire Toolbox to sideload LauncherHijack (via ADB) and it says that it is already installed.

[ugoplatamia]

Using ADB, I uninstalled the app and tried to reinstall. After installation, the tablet open a dialoge box: "LauncherHijack has been blocked."

[UKFilmNerd]

Nothing constructive to add but I've just experienced the same issues. I had the "app is blocked" window and now it's gone.
Reinstalling the app just appears as an update and once it's finished I can close the installer but not run the app. Also as mentioned, the app no longer appears in any listing.
I hope you can fix this awesome app because I'd forgotten how ugly the Kindle interface is! ;-)

[dwhitcher18]

Darthyoshiboy could you provide a guide to how you fixed this issue?

[Brodie01]

I'd love to know as well please. Can you provide steps on how we can rename to something else?

Edit - I figured out the same solution as the user above. Use Android Studio and rename launcherhijack to something else and rebuild apk - it installed and works again. Will use this until an official fix comes out. Full disclosure - I had no idea what I was doing and I probably did more harm than good.

[effelle]

Today happen to me too: launcherhijack has been blocked.
Funny enough, I've installed it some time ago (V3) and stop working just today, even if I got no update for FireOS.
Tried to install the latest version trough ADB but is marked as incompatible.
V3 still installs but doesn't appears on list nor I can enable button press.
Tested ADB commands found under HELP.MD too with no success.

Fire 8 2017
FireOS 5.3.6.4

[jbrice1974]

Same... FireHD10. Blocked the program.

[darthyoshiboy]

@dwhitcher18 I cloned the repo. I ran a recursive grep for files that mentioned com.baronkiko.launcherhijack and changed all instances via xargs/sed to com.somethingelse.anythingelse

Then I moved /app/src/main/java/com/baronkiko/launcherhijack to /app/src/main/java/com/baronkiko/anythingelse and then /app/src/main/java/com/baronkiko to /app/src/main/java/com/somethingelse imported the modified cloned repo into Android Studio and built an APK from there that I sideloaded onto my Kindle and installed.

[darkoverlordofdata]

I got this today also. I did a hardware reset and reinstalled. It worked for about 4 hours, and broke again. I noticed right when it happened that alexa started up, even though I had it as disabled as I can. If I ever needed proof that Amazon spies on me, there it is.

I downloaded AndroidStudio and cloned this project. But when I open it it gets errors. Never could get AS to work...

[Parou]

Same today. Guess I will finally have to install Android Studio again.

[kodi022]

Never thought amazon would start trying to force people to use their gross OS, would love to see this fixed asap.

[dwhitcher18]

Modified apk worked for me!

[honestbleeps]

just adding to this: not only did I have the same thing happen, but my FireOS didn't update, I rooted mine and turned off auto update... Went away for the weekend, came home to this error dialog like everyone else, but pretty sure my FireHD10 has not had a system update.

Unless I'm mistaken, they seem to have blacklisted the app via some other means that doesn't necessarily require a system update.

[CleverGato]

Someone at xda posted a modified apk. Use at your own risk. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79434906&postcount=395

Thanks for the link. It worked for me.

[commbunch]

just adding to this: not only did I have the same thing happen, but my FireOS didn't update, I rooted mine and turned off auto update... Went away for the weekend, came home to this error dialog like everyone else, but pretty sure my FireHD10 has not had a system update.

Unless I'm mistaken, they seem to have blacklisted the app via some other means that doesn't necessarily require a system update.

Na, you are right. Same boat here. I thought I was updated but checked version and no change. Fire HD8 2017. Finally got it all workng fairly smoothly a few days ago. Pisses me off almost enough to dump this Fire too, unplug my house from Amazon across the board and get a decent tablet from someone else.

[Parou]

I suspect that they just added it to whatever blacklist option they use to block malware apps with known names from running on their device--because it was easy to do and didn't cost any programmer hours to implement. Whether they decide it's worth actually spending the money to implement a more involved software block, who can say? As noted, changing the app name and rebuilding (or cloning) seems to work just fine.

Given that the Fire is sold so cheaply because part of the purchase price is subsidized by all the Amazon media you're assumed to be consuming with it, you can sort of see why they'd want to keep their media-pushing launcher in your face. It's just a pity that they didn't bother trying to improve the launcher to where people would want to keep using it, rather than prevent you from adding a new one.

I'll be honest, I would already consider using it if it had proper pages / tabs for the app list. Sometimes I even find myself using it for specific stuff, but that shitty app list, oh boi.

[gtsiva]

Someone at xda posted a modified apk. Use at your own risk. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79434906&postcount=395

Thanks. This worked for me.

[RedcatPhoenix]

CLONE DOWNLOAD LINK: https://www.mediafire.com/file/kqa89yndk468itf/Launcher.Hijack.v.4.0.3.b.43.Clone.apk