Question Android: targeting API level 31 makes the game freeze on Android 12

I'm facing a weird issue with the Android Player.

When the game is built for Android with target API Level 31 it freezes on devices running Android 12 (right after the splash screen).

You can reproduce the problem even with a minimal project (like the one attached):

1. Make sure you have Android SDK version 31 and Build Tools version 31 installed.
2. Open the project.
3. Make sure Target API Level is set to "API Level 31" in Android Player settings.
4. Build the project for Android.
5. Install the resulting APK to a device running Android 12 and launch it.

Expected behaviour:
- After the splash screen, the SampleScene is seen (a default skybox with a text overlay saying "The game works!").
- In logcat , the output of LifecycleLogger component is seen, saying: "Awake", then "Start", then "Update 1", "Update 2" and so on.

Actual behavior:
- Splash screen never disappears and the game looks like an unresponsive grey rectangle.
- In logcat, only "Awake" message is seen, meaning Start() and Update() methods never get called.

Reproduced in Unity 2018.4.36f1, on Android 12 devices when building with Target API Level 31.
Not reproduced in Unity 2019.4.35f1, Unity 2021.2.7f1.
Not reproduced on devices running Android 11 or below.
Not reproduced when building with Target API Level 30 or below.

P.S.:
Targeting API Level 31 is currently required by 3rd-party libraries and soon will be required by Google Play, which makes this problem a pressing matter.
Upgrading to a newer version of Unity might seem the obvious thing to do. But it's nearly impossible for huge and mature projects we currently support. So a fix or a workaround that allows us to stay on Unity 2018 will be much appreciated.

 

Any solutions? We have the same issue here in the project. Upgrade unity is not an option for us either. Thanks

 

If you've just stumbled on this post like I have after trying to update some older builds, you can try a solution that I have found that seems to work.

On awake, try calling Permission.RequestUserPermission() with a permission that ISNT declared in your androidManifest file. This will immediately return that the permission is denied on awake and allow the game to continue running. I think whats happening is that Unity isnt pushed into the foreground correctly by the OS, but the permission check allows it to regain focus and continue running. I've tried this in builds from Unity 2018.4 LTS and Unity 2019.2 and both work fine and run when targeting android 31.

Hope that helps!

 

It happens to me in Unity 2019.1.9f1

 

I have tried but can't work in Unity 2019.1.9f1

 

Any official help?

 

I have the exact same issue and the Permission.RequestUserPermission() workaround didn't work for me.

 

me too

 

Me too.
Any official help?

 

Any help? This is happening to me too. This is an emergency, in a few days GooglePlay will require API 31 and I need to update the ads because GooglePlay has created a new ad rule. Unity 2019.2.8f1.

 

Player Settings--->Other Settings-->Write Permission-->External(SDCard)

 

The code setting has no effect, but I can open it after I enable the permission in Player Settings--->Other Settings-->Write Permission-->External(SDCard), thank you for your idea

 

Note: Do not disable the permission request pop-up window of Unity in the exported Android project：

Code (CSharp):

1.         <meta-data
2.             android:name="unityplayer.SkipPermissionsDialog"
3.             android:value="false" />

 

It works,Thank you!But I can't enable the permission request pop-up window because the platform will reject my apk...

 

I have the same problem. Is there a working solution?

 

I have the same problem, is there any official explanation?

 

I have this problem too,Any solution? my unity version is 2017.4.27

 

i try to call user permission dialog, if i did not click the "allow" or click refuse ,the game can be resume.
but,if i click allow, restart game is still freeze.
my game is builded with 2018.4.x, any useful solution?

 

Same problem for me, Unity 2019.2.21f1

 

Same problem for me, Unity 2018.4.36f1，Anyone solved the problem?

 

Thank you veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery much , i do this ,the problem was solved.My Unity is 2018.4.10

 

can you tell me how you did it ? i have the same problem

 

We have the same issue.
We use the `UnityWebRequest` in coroutine method, but it will never change status to `done`!
When it will work? We find that it works well again if we granted the device `phone permissions`!
You can try it~
Our solution is upgrading Unity to v2021 LTS(which works well with no `phone permissions` granted) before deadline.
Tired!
One more thing, permission `READ_PHONE_STATE` is what we declaired in `AndroidManifest.xml`

 

Unity 2018.4.7f1 LTS
PlayerSettings -> OtherSettings -> Mute OtherAudioSources check
This worked for me

 

WOW, it's amazing work for my project 2019.2.21. Thanks a lot

 

I can confirm this solution worked for me (Unity 2018.4.36f1).

@jon_reid it would be good if you could share with us how did you find this solution . Was it any kind of log that led you to attempt to request a permission? Was it something else?

 

I built game in unity 2020.3.16f1 and exported it to Android studio. And in Android studio, I made the needed change of 'android:export=true'. APK was successfully built, installed on my android 12 mobile, but it's not opening. The game is not opening. Name of the game is Lipsy. Error says, "failed to start several times".

This is the video link of an error:
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/dHOYS9Lfazc?feature=share

 

Anybody found a solution?

 

Thank you! It work for me

 

Pode explicar como fazer isso?

 

Pode explicar como fazer ?

 

Any updates on how to fix this? The "permission" fix doesn't seem to work just as External SD card one

 

So, I'm replying to myself. After a lot of poking, the "permission" fix seems to be working, however, you can't call the C# unity method, this doesn't work. You HAVE to call native ActivityCompat.requestPermissions() in java with undisclosed permission from AndroidManifest (i.e. CALL_PHONE).

 

Thank you very much.

works for me.
Version: 2018.4.36f1

 

Holy Jesus, work in 2018.4.7

 

WOW... my master.

 

Thanks for sharing this! My project uses Unity 2017.4.40f1 and I get a black screen at launch on newer versions of Android OS when I build with API level 31, 32, or 33. By simply checking off "Mute Other Audio Sources", the problem is fixed.

Now my players no longer listen to their own music while playing the game, but it's a great stop-gap solution until we eventually upgrade our Unity version, which will be a huge effort involving lots of testing on multiple platforms.

Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing their experiences!

 

Thank you for this! It works

 

This just saved me. It works. Unity 2018.4 trying to build for Android SDK 33

 

Wow. I don't know how in the world you discovered this obscure workaround to this fatal issue, but it seems to do the trick (Unity 2018.4.36f1). Thank you!