Vega LAT: Users unable to install or launch app; installed app missing from launcher after restart

Vega Open Beta Q&A
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1

App Name: Home Entertainment Hub
SDK Version: v0.24.12044
React Native Version: RN 0.83.0
App Version: 2.1.41
Distribution: Amazon Live App Testing (LAT)
Platform: Physical Fire TV device running Vega OS

Title: Vega LAT app installation, launch and launcher visibility issues

Description:
Users testing Home Entertainment Hub through LAT are experiencing installation and launch problems on Vega OS. The Fire OS version works on non-Vega Fire TV sticks.

Observed behaviour:

  • Some testers report being unable to install or open the app.
  • The LAT Appstore detail page remains on “Opening…”, without displaying the app.
  • After restarting the stick, the app is missing from the launcher but remains listed under Settings → Applications → Manage Installed Applications.
  • An earlier build displayed “Failed to load app (-2): net::ERR_FAILED” inside the app.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Accept the LAT invitation and install the Vega version on a compatible Fire TV device.
  2. Select Open on the app’s Appstore detail page.
  3. Observe that the page remains on “Opening…”.
  4. Restart the stick and check the launcher.
  5. Check Manage Installed Applications, where the app remains listed.

Expected behaviour:
Eligible LAT testers should be able to install the app, launch it and find it in the launcher after restarting the device.

Technical details:
The app uses React Native with @amazon-devices/webview to display a bundled web application. The package ID is app.heh.mobile, and the registered main component is app.heh.mobile.main. The manifest declares com.amazon.category.main and includes a 512×512 PNG icon.

We addressed the earlier local-file loading issue by embedding web assets in a single HTML document. Local package validation passes, but successful launch through LAT has not been confirmed.

Request:
Please help investigate whether LAT delivery, installation registration or launcher integration is contributing to these issues, and advise which device logs or package details you need.

4

Hi @James_Timms,

Thanks for the detailed report. There are two separate issues here:

  1. net::ERR_FAILED (-2) / bundled web app

Known Vega WebView limitation: a single file:// HTML loads fine, but cross-origin access between local files is CORS-restricted, so a bundled web app referencing separate local JS/CSS/image assets fails. Inlining into one HTML (as you did) is the right first step. Two things to check:

  • If the inlined HTML still makes network/API calls, those can throw net::ERR_FAILED independently - confirm whether the failing load is local or remote.
  • More robust option: serve your content via a lightweight local HTTP server (http://localhost:PORT/) instead of file:// - avoids CORS entirely.

Refs:

  1. Installs via LAT but missing from launcher

Two common manifest causes produce exactly this symptom:

Key signal: if the sideloaded build (vega device install-app) appears and launches but the LAT build doesn’t, that points to the LAT delivery/launcher-registration path rather than your manifest.

Could you share:

  1. Your manifest.toml [package] and [[components.interactive]] sections
  2. Icon dimensions and file size
  3. Whether the sideloaded build appears/launches vs. the LAT build (incl. the after-restart behavior)
  4. Device logs around the install + “Open” hang, plus the device software version

Our team is looking into it and will provide an update as soon as we have more information.

Thanks for helping us improve the Vega platform.

Warm regards,
Aishwarya

6

Managed to get the app to launch, that was an error on my part

manifest.toml

schema-version = 1

[package]
title = "Home Entertainment Hub"
version = "3.0.2"
id = "app.heh.mobile"
icon = "@image/icon.png"

[os.version]
min = "1.2"
target = "1.2"

[needs]
[[needs.module]]
id = "/com.amazon.vega.os@IVega_1_2"

[[needs.module]]
id = "/com.amazon.kepler.keplerscript_4@IKeplerScript_0"

[[needs.module]]
id = "/com.amazon.kepler.webview_4@IWebview_4"

[[needs.privilege]]
id = "com.amazon.privilege.network.internet"

[network-traffic-policy.cleartext]

Vega OS blocks cleartext by default (like Android), so allow all domains.

allowed-domains = ["*"]

[components]
[[components.interactive]]
id = "app.heh.mobile.main"
runtime-module = "/com.amazon.kepler.runtime.react_native_kepler_4@IReactNativeKepler_0"
launch-type = "singleton"
categories = ["com.amazon.category.main"]

[wants]

Web renderer service for rendering web content

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.webview.renderer_service"

If Web App needs keyboard support

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.inputmethod.service"

If Web App needs video playback

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.media.server"

Required for emitting metrics from video playback

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.mediametrics.service"

Required for video playback on stable APIs

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.mediabuffer.service"
[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.mediatransform.service"

If Web App needs audio playback

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.audio.stream"

Required for audio management features to work in WebView, features like audio focus, volume control

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.audio.control"

To enable accessibility support for your app, we recommend you add the UCC service with the Service Registrar

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.kepler.ucc.publisher"

Uncomment below section to enable encrypted media playback (DRM content)

[[wants.service]]

id = "com.amazon.drm.key"

[[wants.service]]

id = "com.amazon.drm.crypto"

[[needs.privilege]]

id = "com.amazon.privilege.security.file-sharing"

Enable Group-IPC to access media services

[[wants.service]]
id = "com.amazon.gipc.uuid."
[offers]
[[offers.service]]
id = "com.amazon.gipc.uuid."

Icon dimensions and file sizes are fine.

SIdeload appears but the LAT Build does not

7

Hi @James_Timms,

Glad to hear you got the app to launch - thanks for confirming that and for sharing your manifest.toml.

To make sure I understand the remaining issue correctly: the sideloaded build appears in the launcher, but the LAT (Live App Test) build does not show up after installing. Can you confirm this is still happening on your end?

If it is, could you help us with a few details so we can investigate:

  1. Device model and OS version - which Vega device(s) you’re seeing this on, and the OS version (Settings > My Fire TV > About).
  2. Does the LAT build ever appear (e.g., right after install) and then disappear after a restart, or does it never show up in the launcher at all?
  3. Confirmation the LAT install succeeded - does the LAT build show as installed anywhere (or only the sideload)?
  4. Logs from the affected device. Please capture logs around the time you install the LAT build and check the launcher, and share them here.

Thanks - once we have the logs we’ll dig in and follow up.

Best regards,
Aishwarya

8

Hi @James_Timms,

Following up on this - just checking whether you’re still seeing the LAT build not appear in the launcher after install.

If so, the details I’d asked about earlier would help us investigate:

  1. Device model and OS version you’re seeing this on (Settings > My Fire TV > About).
  2. Does the LAT build ever appear (e.g., right after install) and then disappear after a restart, or does it never show up in the launcher at all?
  3. Confirmation the LAT install succeeded - does it show as installed anywhere, or only the sideload?
  4. Logs from the affected device, captured around the time you install the LAT build and check the launcher.

Once we have those (especially the logs), we’ll dig in and follow up.

Thanks,
Aishwarya