# Activity Manager for launching Android activities and building shortcuts > Activity Manager is a Kotlin Android application for discovering activities, starting exported or non-exported components, creating custom shortcuts, building intents, and inspecting manifests. It is aimed at Android users who need access beyond ordinary application entry points, with root or Shizuku required for non-exported activities. **sdex/ActivityManager** — Launch any application activity - Repository: https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager - Stars: 1,380 · Forks: 75 - Language: Kotlin - License: Apache-2.0 - Published: 2026-10-16 · Updated: 2026-10-16 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/sdex-activitymanager ## Activity Manager's component-level launch workflow Activity Manager addresses a specific Android limitation: an installed application may contain activities that are not exposed through its normal launcher icon. The project says it can discover activities from installed applications, run them, and turn them into shortcuts. This makes the application relevant to people testing Android components, supporting devices that need a direct route to a secondary screen, or building shortcuts for tasks that should begin inside a particular activity rather than at the application's main entry point. The supported launch paths depend on Android component exposure. The README explicitly lists exported activities as a supported target. It also says non-exported activities can be launched with root or in a rootless configuration using Shizuku. That distinction matters because the application cannot treat every discovered activity as equally accessible. A visible activity entry is not proof that Android will allow an ordinary launch request to start it. The user must first understand which launch path applies. Beyond launching, Activity Manager can create custom shortcuts for individual activities. A shortcut can use an icon selected from storage or one of the application's built-in Material icons. This extends the feature from an on-demand launcher into Android's home-screen workflow, although the README does not document how shortcut placement, duplicate names, launcher compatibility, or shortcut removal are handled. ## Installed application discovery and activity selection Based on the README and screenshots, the primary flow begins with an application list and continues into that application's activity list. The project calls itself a hidden activity launcher and describes discovery of activities belonging to installed applications. Selecting an application therefore appears to be the boundary between browsing packages and choosing a specific Android component to inspect or start. This interface is materially different from opening each application's ordinary icon. Activity Manager is organized around components, so its useful unit of work is not the package as a whole but an activity within it. The screenshots include separate views named for the apps list, activities list, shortcut creation, shortcut icon selection, intent builder, and manifest viewer. Those names support a direct selection model, but the repository description does not document search, filtering, sorting, package-loading errors, or how activities with duplicate labels are presented. The discovery layer also has an Android platform boundary. The README says the application explores installed applications, but it does not state whether it reads package information through one API or several, whether package queries are filtered, or how Android version restrictions affect visibility. Consequently, an empty or incomplete list should not automatically be interpreted as proof that a package contains no launchable activity. The documentation does not provide enough detail to diagnose that case. ## Root and Shizuku access for non-exported activities Activity Manager's most consequential requirement is the extra access needed for non-exported activities. The README lists two supported routes: root and rootless operation with Shizuku. An ordinary application launch does not receive permission to cross the same component boundary, so the selected privilege model determines whether the project can start the requested target. This is more restrictive than its broad description, "Launch any application activity," may initially suggest. Exported activities are the direct case. For a non-exported activity, the user must supply root or arrange Shizuku. The README does not give setup commands, service names, permission prompts, device requirements, or a documented sequence for connecting Shizuku. It also does not claim compatibility with every OEM build or every Android release. Those omissions limit how precisely installation and first-run access can be documented. For organizations, this changes the adoption decision. A deployment that allows only unprivileged user apps cannot use the rootless Shizuku route unless that environment permits the required Shizuku setup. A deployment that forbids root may still be compatible with Shizuku, but only after confirming the organization's policy and the device configuration. Activity Manager is therefore not simply an APK that can be installed uniformly across managed devices. Its access model has to match the device's privilege and management boundaries. ## Release, Obtainium, and F-Droid installation The README identifies precompiled release assets as the recommended download method and links to the repository's releases. It also provides an Obtainium redirect for adding the GitHub repository, which the README says can install the application and receive automatic updates. F-Droid is the third documented route and identifies the package as `com.activitymanager`. No source-build prerequisites are documented, even though the repository contains Gradle wrapper files such as `gradlew`. For a first installation, open the linked GitHub releases page and select the appropriate precompiled asset. The README does not state the asset file name or device architecture variants, so this article cannot provide a verified command. With Obtainium, add the exact GitHub repository URL shown in its project link and use Obtainium to track the app. With F-Droid, locate `com.activitymanager`. These routes install an existing application; none should be presented as a build-from-source procedure. After installation, open Activity Manager and allow it to present the installed application list. Select an application, inspect its activity list, and choose a target activity. The README confirms this interaction through its screenshots and feature list, but it does not describe the first-run permission dialogs or what should appear if the app lacks root, Shizuku, or access to a selected icon. Confirm that the target package appears before configuring a shortcut. ## Shortcut and Intent Builder configuration Activity Manager can convert a selected activity into a custom shortcut and can also create and start arbitrary custom intents through Intent Builder. These are separate controls even though both operate on Android's intent model. A shortcut provides a home-screen route to a chosen activity, while Intent Builder is intended for composing a custom request rather than merely selecting an existing component. For the shortcut path, select an activity, enter the workflow shown for shortcut creation, and choose an icon from Android storage or from the built-in Material icon set. The screenshots confirm those stages, but the README does not provide field names, accepted icon formats, size constraints, or the exact point at which Android asks to place the shortcut. Do not invent a command or claim that every launcher will accept the result, because neither behavior is documented. Intent Builder offers a more manual path. The project says users can create and start any custom intents, but the available actions, data fields, categories, flags, extras, and preview behavior are not listed. The documentation also does not describe validation. An invalid intent may therefore fail at the Android component boundary, but the repository does not explain whether Activity Manager validates it before launch. The feature is useful when an operation requires intent details that an application shortcut does not expose. It is less suitable when the user only needs to open the application's normal entry point. ## Manifest Viewer and the limits of component inspection Manifest Viewer gives Activity Manager a diagnostic role beyond shortcut creation. According to the feature list, it can explore an application's details through a manifest viewer. That view can help connect an activity in Activity Manager with the metadata declared by its package, but the repository does not document which manifest elements are shown or whether merged manifests, splits, permissions, intent filters, and exported status are presented. This limitation affects how much confidence to place in the interface. Activity Manager's discovery view may identify an activity, while the Manifest Viewer may provide context about its declaration. The available documentation does not say whether either screen reports the resolved Android export state or only static package information. It also does not explain behavior when an application uses obfuscated component names, disabled components, or package visibility restrictions. A regular application shortcut is a reasonable alternative when the need is simple. It starts the package's intended entry point and does not require choosing an internal activity or composing component data. Activity Manager is the different approach when the entry point itself matters, when a custom intent is required, or when component metadata needs direct inspection. For ordinary daily use, the extra privilege and configuration decisions can outweigh its benefit. ## Maintenance, releases, and Apache-2.0 obligations The repository is not archived, and its last push was on 2026-10-14. Releases 5.5.3, 5.5.2, and 5.5.1 were published on 2026-10-10, 2026-10-02, and 2026-09-29 respectively. Those dates indicate recent development activity around the listed release sequence. They do not establish compatibility with a specific Android version or device. The upgrade path for precompiled users is comparatively direct. Obtainium can track the GitHub repository and receive updates automatically, while the releases page supplies precompiled assets. The README does not describe a migration procedure, release channel policy, rollback process, or persisted-data compatibility between versions. Obtainium users may have version-management behavior specific to Obtainium, but this project does not document that behavior here. Verify the release notes and app compatibility before replacing an installed copy that holds shortcuts or depends on a particular Shizuku setup. Activity Manager is distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, with the repository's `LICENSE` file serving as the stated reference. That license covers the project source and distribution terms. This is not legal advice, and the README does not add separate obligations for applications inspected by the tool. Users still need to follow applicable Android security policies and any target application's terms. ## Conclusion Activity Manager suits Android users and testers who need to launch specific activities, create component-based shortcuts, inspect manifests, or construct custom intents. It is a poor fit for routine app launching or devices where users cannot grant root or configure Shizuku. Verify first that the target activity is present, determine whether it is exported, and confirm that the required privilege or companion service is available before adopting it for managed fleets. ## FAQ ### How do I install Activity Manager on Android? The README recommends downloading a precompiled binary from the GitHub releases. It also documents obtaining the app through Obtainium or installing `com.activitymanager` from F-Droid. ### Can Activity Manager launch non-exported Android activities? Yes, according to the README, when the user has root or uses the rootless configuration provided through Shizuku. The documentation does not provide detailed setup steps or claim support for every device. ### What can I do with Activity Manager shortcuts and intents? Activity Manager can create shortcuts for selected activities, assign icons from storage or built-in Material icons, and create or start custom intents through Intent Builder. The README does not document shortcut rollback or intent validation. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager/issues) - [License: Apache-2.0](https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager/blob/main/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager/releases) - [sdex/ActivityManager on GitHub](https://github.com/sdex/ActivityManager) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/sdex-activitymanager