microg/GmsCore · error · LoadingException

null application Context

Error message

null application Context

What it means

DynamiteModule.load(context, policy, moduleId) first resolves context.getApplicationContext(); if that returns null it throws a LoadingException('null application Context'). Dynamite needs a real application context to query and load the dynamic module.

Source

Thrown at play-services-basement/src/main/java/com/google/android/gms/dynamite/DynamiteModule.java:133

        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to load module descriptor class.", e);
            return 0;
        }
    }

    public static int getRemoteVersion(@NonNull Context context, @NonNull String moduleId) {
        return getRemoteVersion(context, moduleId, false);
    }

    public static int getRemoteVersion(@NonNull Context context, @NonNull String moduleId, boolean forceStaging) {
        Log.e(TAG, "Remote modules not yet supported");
        return 0;
    }

    @NonNull
    public static DynamiteModule load(@NonNull Context context, @NonNull VersionPolicy policy, @NonNull String moduleId) throws LoadingException {
        Context applicationContext = context.getApplicationContext();
        if (applicationContext == null) throw new LoadingException("null application Context", null);
        try {
            VersionPolicy.SelectionResult result = policy.selectModule(context, moduleId, VersionPolicy.IVersions.Default);
            Log.i(TAG, "Considering local module " + moduleId + ":" + result.localVersion + " and remote module " + moduleId + ":" + result.remoteVersion);
            switch (result.selection) {
                case NONE:
                    throw new LoadingException("No acceptable module " + moduleId + " found. Local version is " + result.localVersion + " and remote version is " + result.remoteVersion + ".");
                case LOCAL:
                    Log.i(TAG, "Selected local version of " + moduleId);
                    return new DynamiteModule(context);
                case REMOTE:
                    throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
                default:
                    throw new LoadingException("VersionPolicy returned invalid code:" + result.selection);
            }
        } catch (LoadingException loadingException) {
            throw loadingException;
        } catch (Throwable e) {
            throw new LoadingException("Failed to load remote module.", e);

View on GitHub (pinned to 157c9d86ac)

Solutions

1. Pass a real, fully-attached Context: an Activity, a Service, or context.getApplicationContext() from a live component
2. In tests, use ApplicationProvider.getApplicationContext() (Robolectric) or a real instrumentation target context instead of a mocked Context
3. Never call DynamiteModule.load before the Application is created (e.g., not in a static initializer of a non-ContentProvider class)
4. Wrap load in try-catch LoadingException and degrade gracefully

Example fix

// before
DynamiteModule.load(mockContext, policy, "module"); // throws
// after
Context appCtx = ApplicationProvider.getApplicationContext();
DynamiteModule.load(appCtx, policy, "module");

if (context == null || context.getApplicationContext() == null) {
    // do not call DynamiteModule.load with this context
}

boolean canLoadDynamite(Context ctx) {
    return ctx != null && ctx.getApplicationContext() != null;
}

try {
    DynamiteModule m = DynamiteModule.load(ctx, policy, moduleId);
} catch (DynamiteModule.LoadingException e) {
    Log.w(TAG, "Dynamite load failed", e);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a bare/mock Context (e.g., Mockito-mocked Context, Robolectric context without application, or a ContextWrapper wrapping null) whose getApplicationContext() returns null.

Common situations: Unit or instrumentation tests injecting fake Contexts into gms APIs; early-lifecycle code calling load before the Application is attached; custom Context subclasses that override getApplicationContext() to return null.

Related errors

• No acceptable module " + moduleId + " found. Local version i
• VersionPolicy returned invalid code:
• onCreateView not allowed on MapViewDelegate
• onDestroyView not allowed on MapViewDelegate
• onInflate not allowed on MapViewDelegate

AI-assisted analysis of microg/GmsCore@157c9d86ac (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f02a88585d74d79e. Report an issue: GitHub.