Resolving the 'Waiting For Debugger' Message in Android Studio When Not Debugging

What does the 'Waiting For Debugger' message mean in Android Studio when not debugging?

The 'Waiting For Debugger' message in Android Studio generally indicates that the application is attempting to connect to a debugger, causing it to enter a wait state. This behavior can occur even if you are not actively debugging due to several configuration issues or settings within the IDE or your project.

Causes

• Your application might be set to debug mode unintentionally.
• There could be a misconfiguration in your AndroidManifest.xml file.
• An existing breakpoint in your code could cause the app to wait for a debugger even when running normally.
• A potential issue with the device connections and ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Solutions

• Check your build configuration in Android Studio to ensure it is set to 'Run' instead of 'Debug'.
• Ensure your AndroidManifest.xml has the correct `<application>` tag configured: `<application android:debuggable="false" />` but also check any other relevant configurations that could be affecting the build.
• Clear your Android Studio cache and restart the IDE: Go to 'File' > 'Invalidate Caches / Restart'.
• Reinstall ADB on your device or reset ADB by opening a terminal and typing `adb kill-server` followed by `adb start-server`.
• Try creating a new project to see if the issue persists, which can indicate if there's a problem specifically with your existing project.

Mistake: Forgetting to switch from Debug to Run configuration.

Solution: Make sure to click on the drop-down menu next to the play button and select 'Run' instead of 'Debug'.

Mistake: Using the wrong application ID or project name after renaming resources.

Solution: Check your project structure and ensure all references are updated after renaming any resources.

Mistake: Not closing existing debugging sessions.

Solution: Check if there are any active debugging sessions that might be capturing your device input.