Can’t Sign Into Google Play on API CANARY Preview: Resolving Google Play Issues and Gemini Live Breakage in AI Glasses Emulator

We understand the critical frustration when developing for the Android ecosystem, specifically when utilizing the cutting-edge API Canary Preview channels. The integration of Gemini Live into the AI Glasses emulator represents a significant leap forward in ambient computing, but infrastructure issues can halt progress entirely. The specific error sequence—ranging from the black screen crash during Google Play sign-in to the ANR (Application Not Responding) errors in com.google.android.gms.ui—points to a systemic environment misconfiguration rather than a simple user error.

This comprehensive guide is designed to address the “Sign in required” roadblock encountered in the Android Emulator when targeting API levels 34 and beyond. We will dissect the root cause involving the SetupWizard partner provider, explore the implications of Google’s structural changes in emulator images, and provide actionable workarounds to restore functionality for your AI Glasses development workflow.

The primary symptom reported is a failure to authenticate within the Android Emulator environment, specifically when attempting to sign into Google Play. In the context of AI Glasses development, access to Google Play is not merely a convenience; it is a prerequisite for accessing Gemini Live APIs and other Google Mobile Services (GMS) that power the wearable experience.

When we initiate the sign-in process on an API Canary Preview build, the system attempts to launch the account creation flow. This flow is heavily dependent on the Google Play Services suite. The immediate manifestation of the issue is a black screen followed by a prompt to close the application. This indicates a crash in the foreground activity responsible for handling the authentication UI.

Concurrently, system logs (adb logcat or dumpsys account) reveal a distinct lack of persistence. Even if the UI appears momentarily, the account is not added to the system. dumpsys account returning Accounts: 0 confirms that the AccountManager service is failing to register the credentials. This is the breaking point for the AI Glasses emulator, as the Gemini Live trigger (Touch & hold touchpad 2s) strictly requires a valid, active Google Account session to function.

The Root Cause: Missing SetupWizard Partner Provider

Digging into the technical logs, we consistently see the error: Failed to find provider info for com.google.android.setupwizard.partner. This is the smoking gun.

In previous Android API versions, the SetupWizard application was bundled within the system image. It handled the initial device provisioning, including the partnership agreements and account creation steps required by Google Play Services. However, as noted in Google’s Issue Tracker (ID 440535486), Google has made significant changes to the emulator images starting with API 34 (Android 14).

Google has stripped the SetupWizard app from the standard Google Play (Wear OS) system images for the emulator. They have moved towards a modular approach or removed it entirely to reduce the image size and speed up boot times for developers. However, the Google Play Services framework within the API Canary Preview channels still attempts to query the com.google.android.setupwizard.partner Content Provider during the sign-in process. When this provider is missing, the dependency chain breaks, causing the MinuteMaidActivity (the account addition UI) to hang and eventually trigger an ANR (Application Not Responding) error.

Analyzing the ANR in MinuteMaidActivity

The ANR in com.google.android.gms.ui specifically targeting MinuteMaidActivity is a direct symptom of the missing provider.

MinuteMaidActivity is a component within Google Play Services responsible for adding accounts to the device. It relies on the SetupWizard partner configuration to determine regional settings, carrier provisioning, and device policy enforcement. Without the partner provider, the activity enters a waiting state, unable to query necessary data, leading to the input dispatching timeout.

For developers working on the AI Glasses emulator, this is a critical blocker. The “Sign in required” UI on the glasses interface is a client-side check. If the underlying Android system (the emulator) cannot establish a session, the client app cannot progress. This creates a deadlock where the development environment is technically operational—test apps run fine—but the specific Gemini Live capabilities remain inaccessible.

Since the issue stems from a structural omission in the emulator images, we cannot simply “fix” it by toggling a setting in the standard UI. We must employ developer-centric workarounds to bypass the missing dependency or restore the missing components.

Method 1: Sideload the SetupWizard APK

The most direct solution to resolving the Failed to find provider info error is to manually install the SetupWizard application into the emulator. We can obtain the APK from a compatible system dump or a previous stable emulator image.

Obtain the APK: You need the SetupWizard.apk (or GoogleBackupTransport.apk depending on the specific dependency) that matches the API level. For API 34, you may need to source this from a factory image of a physical device running the same API level, or an older emulator image where the app was present.
Install via ADB:
```
adb install -r -d SetupWizard.apk
```

Grant Permissions: Once installed, the system needs to recognize it as a device administrator or a privileged app.

adb shell pm grant com.google.android.setupwizard android.permission.READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE
adb shell pm grant com.google.android.setupwizard android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

Restart Google Play Services:
```
adb shell am force-stop com.google.android.gms
```
After restarting the service, attempt the sign-in process again. The system should now be able to resolve the content provider URI, allowing the MinuteMaidActivity to load correctly.

Method 2: Using ADB to Add Accounts Manually

If installing the full SetupWizard proves unstable in the Canary Preview, we can sometimes bypass the GUI account creation flow entirely by adding the account via ADB commands. This forces the AccountManager to register the credentials, potentially satisfying the Gemini Live requirement without triggering the broken UI.

Identify Account Type: For Google accounts, the type is usually com.google.
Execute Account Addition:
```
adb shell am start -n com.google.android.gms/.checkin.AccountIntroActivity
```
Or, using the accounts command (if available in your emulator build):
```
adb shell accounts add -t com.google -n "YourUsername" -p "YourPassword"
```
Note: Direct password input via ADB is deprecated in newer API levels for security reasons. You may be redirected to a web view for authentication.
A more reliable variant is triggering the Account Sync settings directly:
```
adb shell am start -a android.settings.ADD_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS
```
This bypasses the specific MinuteMaidActivity layout that relies on SetupWizard and opens the standard Android account management interface, which may be more stable in the Canary build.

Method 3: Flashing a GMS Package (Magisk / Systemless Root)

For advanced developers requiring a persistent solution, the issue can be resolved by ensuring the Google Play Services and SetupWizard packages are correctly flashed as system modules. Since we are dealing with an emulator, we can utilize the Magisk Module Repository to patch the system image.

We recommend using the Magisk Modules repository available at https://magiskmodule.gitlab.io/magisk-modules-repo/. Specifically, look for modules that patch GMS (Google Mobile Services) or Wear OS integrations.

Enable Magisk in Emulator: Configure your AVD (Android Virtual Device) to support root. This usually involves creating the AVD with a writable system partition.
Download the Module: Access the Magisk Module Repository and download a module compatible with API 34+ that provides the missing system dependencies.

Flash the Module:

adb push module.zip /sdcard/
adb shell magisk --install-module /sdcard/module.zip

Reboot: Restart the emulator. The module will inject the necessary libraries and possibly the missing SetupWizard provider stubs into the system, resolving the ProviderInfo error.

Configuring the AI Glasses Emulator for Gemini Live

Once the Google Play sign-in is stabilized, the AI Glasses emulator configuration must be verified to ensure it utilizes the newly established session. The “Sign in required” message on the glasses UI is a client-side state that updates only when the underlying AccountManager reports a valid token.

Verifying the Authentication Token

To confirm that the sign-in has propagated to the Gemini Live service, we check the OAuth tokens.

Dump the Token:
```
adb shell dumpsys account | grep "Token"
```
You should see entries for oauth2:... associated with your Google account. If these are missing, the sign-in process, while visually completed, has not granted the necessary scopes for Gemini.
Check Gemini API Scopes: Ensure that the Gemini Live API scopes are requested by the emulator. This often requires editing the config.ini of the AVD or passing specific -gpu and -wear flags during launch to emulate the correct sensor inputs required by the AI Glasses.

Triggering Gemini Live

With a valid account and a stable SetupWizard environment, triggering Gemini Live should proceed as documented:

Emulate Touch Input: The AI Glasses emulator typically maps the touchpad to a specific input device or mouse region.
Long Press (2s): Simulate a long press on the touchpad area.
Expected Outcome: The UI should transition from “Sign in required” to a listening state (usually indicated by a colored ring or animation).

If the UI remains stuck, we must verify that the Google Play Services build version in the emulator matches the API Canary Preview. Mismatches between the GMS Core and the API Level often cause silent failures in the Gemini client.

Addressing the Issue Tracker ID 440535486 Context

The reference to Issue Tracker ID 440535486 is crucial for understanding the long-term roadmap. Google’s official stance is that SetupWizard was intentionally removed from the emulator images to streamline the development process.

However, for AI Glasses developers, this creates a gap. The Wear OS environment (which powers many AI glasses) relies heavily on the SetupWizard for the initial pairing and account sync. The removal breaks the “out-of-the-box” experience in the emulator.

We must treat the Canary Preview as a bleeding-edge environment. While Google works on a modular replacement for the SetupWizard (likely through Google Play Services updates), developers must rely on the workarounds mentioned above. It is highly recommended to subscribe to the Issue Tracker thread to receive updates on when a permanent fix is merged into the emulator canary builds.

Advanced Debugging and Log Analysis

If the sign-in still fails after applying the workarounds, we need to perform a granular analysis of the system logs. The black screen crash often provides a stack trace that points to a specific library failure.

Filtering Logs for Authentication

Use adb logcat with specific tags to isolate the issue:

adb logcat | grep -E "Auth|GoogleLoginService|SetupWizard|MinuteMaid"

Key indicators to look for:

E/GoogleLoginService: Indicates failure in token fetching.
W/SetupWizard: Indicates missing components or permissions.
E/ActivityManager: ANR details.

Wearable Context Provider

For AI Glasses, there is an additional layer: the Wearable Context Provider. This service aggregates data from the glasses and feeds it to the phone/emulator. If the account is not synced, the Context Provider fails, and Gemini Live cannot access the user’s personalized data (calendar, reminders, etc.).

To debug this:

Enable ADB Wi-Fi on the emulator to simulate a network connection more realistically.
Check the Wearable Support Library logs:
```
adb logcat | grep "Wearable"
```
Ensure that the DataApi and NodeApi are connected. A disconnected node often results in a “Sign in required” loop even if the account is present locally.

Ensuring Future Compatibility with API Canary

As Google evolves the API Canary Preview, the dependencies for Gemini Live will shift. To maintain a stable development environment for your AI Glasses projects, we recommend the following best practices:

Keep Emulator System Images Updated

The Android SDK Manager frequently updates the Google Play system images. While the API Canary channel is unstable, it is essential to update the image to the latest revision. Google often quietly patches missing dependencies in minor version bumps.

Utilize Hardware Testing

While the emulator is essential for rapid iteration, it is not a perfect replica of the physical AI Glasses hardware. If the sign-in issues persist in the emulator but are resolved on a physical device (e.g., Pixel Watch or Ray-Ban Meta compatible devices), prioritize testing on hardware. The hardware firmware includes the full SetupWizard stack and GMS dependencies that the emulator lacks.

Fallback to Standard API Levels

If the Canary Preview proves too unstable for Gemini Live development, consider downgrading the target API in your development profile to API 33 (Android 13). The emulator images for API 33 still include the SetupWizard components, allowing for a smoother sign-in experience. You can then test the specific API 34 features once the Google Play sign-in bug is resolved in a stable release.

Conclusion

The inability to sign into Google Play on the API Canary Preview is a known infrastructure issue resulting from the removal of the SetupWizard partner provider. This breaks the Gemini Live integration in the AI Glasses emulator by causing the MinuteMaidActivity to hang and timeout.

We can resolve this by manually sideloading the SetupWizard APK, using ADB to bypass the broken UI, or flashing system modules via the Magisk Module Repository. While these are temporary workarounds, they restore the necessary authentication flow, allowing developers to continue building for the AI Glasses ecosystem. By monitoring the Issue Tracker and keeping the emulator updated, we can navigate these preview instabilities and continue leveraging the power of Gemini Live.

You also may like 〣〣