# Getting a black screen on Android

**URL:** <https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519>\
**Category:** I'm Stuck\
**Created:** [August 20, 2022, 11:43am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519 "2022-08-20T11:43:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 11:43am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/1 "2022-08-20T11:43:52Z")

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_Include the following details (edit as applicable):_

- **Issue category** : Sample App aka ‘ImageDetection’
- **Device type & OS version** : Android
- **Host machine & OS version** : Mac M1
- **Issue Environment** : On Device
- **Xcode version** :
- **ARDK version** : 2.1.0
- **Unity version** : 2020.3.23f1

Description of the issue:  
I have been trying many of the examples provided, i even followed the video to create the ball demo project. However the outcome is always the same. I get a black screen on my Android pixlel6 xl.

I have followed all the steps to publish to andoid documented on this page  
[https://lightship.dev/docs/ardk/ardk\_fundamentals/building\_android.html](https://lightship.dev/docs/ardk/ardk_fundamentals/building_android.html)

I am always getting the same error in the log window which is  
session\_lite\_c\_api.cc:45] operator(): session was passed NULL.

Looking online it seems it is a problem with not being about to access the Arcore. I did add the extra parameter in the manifest tough.

I don’t know what else to try. please help.

Seb

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**Author:** ![Winston](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/user_avatar/community.nianticspatial.com/winston/32/1116_2.png) [@Winston](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Winston)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/2 "2022-08-20T16:07:30Z")

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me too…i am having the same issue but alot more errors

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**Author:** ![Dylan\_Smit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/user_avatar/community.nianticspatial.com/dylan_smit/32/562_2.png) [@Dylan\_Smit](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Dylan_Smit)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/3 "2022-08-20T18:22:42Z")

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1. Update the unity engine to the latest 2020 or 2021 lts.
2. Do you use the URP? If so, did you follow the steps for that?

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**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 8:24am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/4 "2022-08-22T08:24:26Z")

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Hello,

I upgraded to 2021.3.8 (Silicon, LTS) on Sunday and the outcome is the same.

I do not use URP. I am currently only trying to run the project provided by Niantic. Currently ImageDetection.

The screen is black, i am not getting the camera feed, when I press the the run button in the app the screen become all funky. And I get the error message reported in my first post.

S

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**Author:** ![Naveen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f07891/32.png) [@Naveen](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Naveen)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2022, 6:58am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/5 "2022-08-25T06:58:32Z")

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Have you removed Vulkan API from Graphics APIs (in player settings)?

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**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 9:15am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/6 "2022-08-26T09:15:18Z")

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> [@Naveen](#):
>
> Vulkan

Yes I did here is the screenshot of the setting panel. I have tried many things but the output is always the same.

 ![Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 10.13.52](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/original/2X/9/9720e27528be94cefe2e1df0ccec5e324b9dadeb.png)  
 ![Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 10.14.04](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/original/2X/2/23565159b59b2fd3c24724abda08933aee61bd9b.png)

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**Author:** ![Naveen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f07891/32.png) [@Naveen](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Naveen)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 11:49am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/7 "2022-08-26T11:49:05Z")

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@sebastien  
please share the hierarchy window

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**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/8 "2022-08-26T12:14:19Z")

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As I said I am not doing anything fancy i am just trying to run the examples at the moment.  
I am trying to run the detection example

 ![Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 13.13.00](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/original/2X/0/03e045dbf8e06e0bc53b7fd24fb647ea93b28ca9.png)

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**Author:** ![Naveen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f07891/32.png) [@Naveen](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Naveen)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 4:49am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/9 "2022-08-29T04:49:12Z")

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Everything looking good, Verify that the contents you added inside the androidManifest file are in the correct order and format

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**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 9:16am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/10 "2022-08-29T09:16:39Z")

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not sure what else i should ass to the manifest other than the file line about ar core that is documented in the lightship documentation. Please advise

```auto
<manifest
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.unity3d.player"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">
    <application>
        <activity android:name="com.unity3d.player.UnityPlayerActivity"
                  android:theme="@style/UnityThemeSelector">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
            <meta-data android:name="unityplayer.UnityActivity" android:value="true" />
        </activity>
    </application>
    <queries>
        <package android:name="com.google.ar.core" />
    </queries>
</manifest>

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/11 "2022-08-30T12:44:22Z")

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what am i missing? shall upload the zip project somehere? for someone to validate the setting?

S

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**Author:** ![Sergio\_Camilo\_Medina](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/user_avatar/community.nianticspatial.com/sergio_camilo_medina/32/1497_2.png) [@Sergio\_Camilo\_Medina](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Sergio_Camilo_Medina)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 8:19am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/12 "2022-09-01T08:19:49Z")

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Hello,  
I think you are missing to add Android Permission to have access to the android device’s camera.  
Create a new empty object, in that object, add the Android Premission component, then click “+” and add the camera.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sebastien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@sebastien](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/sebastien)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/14 "2022-09-01T17:34:56Z")

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OMG, it is now working.

@NianticBrian @Niantic_Alicia  
Please review your android documentation ([Building ARDK Apps for Android — Niantic Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit release-2.2 documentation](https://lightship.dev/docs/ardk/ardk_fundamentals/building_android.html))

I have almost given up

thanks sergio!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mar\_McRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Mar\_McRae](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/Mar_McRae)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/15 "2022-09-02T01:06:15Z")

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Hi Sebastien,

Glad you were able to get this issue resolved! Thanks for the callout regarding the Android permission requester component and our [Building for ARDK Apps for Android](https://lightship.dev/docs/ardk/ardk_fundamentals/building_android.html) doc. We will be sure to put in a request to have this updated.

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/niantic/user_avatar/community.nianticspatial.com/system/32/13_2.png) [@system](https://community.nianticspatial.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.nianticspatial.com/t/getting-a-black-screen-on-android/2519/16 "2022-09-02T15:02:46Z")

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Closed on September 2, 2022, 3:02pm UTC

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