Android Restart App

Android Restart App

Overview

Restarts the Android app on a connected device by force-stopping the existing instance and launching it again. This is useful for testing configuration changes, clearing app state, or refreshing the app without rebuilding.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user:

• Asks to "restart the Android app"
• Wants to "reload the app"
• Says "relaunch on device"
• Mentions refreshing or resetting the Android app
• Wants to test without rebuilding

Prerequisites

• Android device connected via USB
• App must be installed on the device (use android-deploy-usb first if not)
• USB debugging enabled
• ADB installed
• Device authorized

Instructions

1. Navigate to the Android app directory:

   cd path/​to/​android/​app
   

2. Run the restart script:

   ./​restart-app.sh
   

3. The script will:

   • Force-stop the running app with adb shell am force-stop
   • Launch the app again with adb shell am start
   • Activate it (bring to foreground)

4. Inform the user:

   • The app has been restarted on the device
   • This does NOT rebuild - only restarts the existing installation
   • Use android-deploy-usb if code changes need to be deployed first

Expected Output

🔄 Restarting NoobTest on device...
✅ App restarted

How It Works

The script uses:

• adb shell am force-stop com.miso.noobtest to kill the app process
• adb shell am start -n com.miso.noobtest/​.MainActivity to launch again

When to Use vs Deploy

Use restart-app when:

• Testing configuration files or assets that don't require rebuild
• Clearing app state (memory, caches)
• You just want to refresh the running app
• Changes are external (server-side, network config, etc.)

Use android-deploy-usb when:

• You changed Kotlin code
• You added/​modified UI (Compose)
• You updated dependencies in build.gradle.kts
• Any code that needs recompilation

Common Issues

"no devices found":

• Check USB connection
• Ensure USB debugging is enabled
• Verify device authorized: adb devices
• Try: adb kill-server && adb start-server

App not installed:

• Run android-deploy-usb first to build and install
• Verify app on device home screen or app drawer

App doesn't start:

• Check logcat for errors: adb logcat | grep NoobTest
• Verify MainActivity class name matches package
• Check app permissions if needed

Speed

This is very fast (< 2 seconds) since there's no build step. It's ideal for rapid iteration when testing non-code changes or clearing app state.

Package Name

The script is configured for the specific app's package name. For Firefly/​NoobTest, this is com.miso.noobtest. Different apps will have different package names configured in build.gradle.kts under applicationId.

Force-Stop Note

adb shell am force-stop is a clean shutdown that:

• Stops all app processes
• Clears memory but keeps app data
• Safer than killing process with kill command
• Recommended way to stop Android apps during development