[android] PopupWindow $BadTokenException: Unable to add window -- token null is not valid

I have the following error when showing a PopupWindow. The errors are triggered by the line:

checkInPopup.showAtLocation((ViewGroup) mapView.getParent(), Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 0, 0);

mapView is a MapView and nothing is null. The stacktrace:

01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768): Caused by: android.view.WindowManager$BadTokenException: Unable to add window -- token null is not valid; is your activity running?
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.view.ViewRootImpl.setView(ViewRootImpl.java:513)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:301)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:215)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.view.WindowManagerImpl$CompatModeWrapper.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:140)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.view.Window$LocalWindowManager.addView(Window.java:537)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.widget.PopupWindow.invokePopup(PopupWindow.java:988)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.widget.PopupWindow.showAtLocation(PopupWindow.java:845)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.widget.PopupWindow.showAtLocation(PopupWindow.java:809)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at com.geoloc.ActivityCheckIn.onCreate(ActivityCheckIn.java:50)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:4465)
01-08 18:00:09.402: E/AndroidRuntime(27768):    at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1049)

This is the code from my activity (that extends MapActivity)

    protected void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
    super.onCreate(icicle);
    setContentView(R.layout.checkin);
    mapView = (MapView) findViewById(R.id.mapview);

    LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater) getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
    checkInPopup = new PopupWindow(inflater.inflate(CHECK_IN_POPUP_LAYOUT, null, false));
    checkInPopup.setOutsideTouchable(true);
    checkInPopup.setHeight(100);
    checkInPopup.setWidth(200);
    checkInPopup.showAtLocation((ViewGroup) mapView.getParent(), Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 0, 0);
}

Thank you for sharing your thoughts

There are two scenarios when this exception could occur. One is mentioned by nandeesh. Other scenario is mentioned here: http://blackriver.to/2012/08/android-annoying-exception-unable-to-add-window-is-your-activity-running/

Make sure you handle both of them

try to show popup like this

new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable(){

    public void run() {
       popupWindow.showAtLocation(context.getWindow().getDecorView(), Gravity.CENTER,0,0);
    }

}, 200L);

Try to use it

LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater).getApplicationContext().getSystemService(LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
View view = inflate.from(YourActivity.this).inflate(R.layout.yourLayout, null);

A popup's parent can't itself be a popup. Both of their parents must be the same. So, if you create a popup inside a popup, you must save the parent's popup and make it a parent.

here's an example

Try to show the pop like below

findViewById(R.id.main_layout).post(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            mPopupWindow.showAtLocation(findViewById(R.id.main_layout), Gravity.CENTER, 0, 0);
            Button close = (Button) customView.findViewById(R.id.btn_ok);
            close.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(View v) {
                    mPopupWindow.dismiss();
                    doOtherStuff();
                }
            });
        }
    });

  @Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    View view = LayoutInflater.from(mContext).inflate(R.layout.popup_window_layout, new LinearLayout(mContext), true);
    popupWindow = new PopupWindow(view, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
    popupWindow.setContentView(view);
}

   @Override
public void onWindowFocusChanged(boolean hasFocus) {
    if (hasFocus) {
        popupWindow.showAtLocation(parentView, Gravity.BOTTOM, 0, 0);
    }
}

the correct way is popupwindow.show() at onWindowFocusChanged().

Following many hours of search and testing i found following solution(by implementing different SO solutions) here it what didn't failed in any case i was getting crash.

     Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {

          //displayPopup,progress dialog or what ever action. example

                ProgressDialogBox.setProgressBar(Constants.LOADING,youractivityName.this);
            }};

Where logcat is indicating the crash is happening.. start a runnable .in my case at receiving broadcast.

runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                if(!isFinishing()) {
                    new Handler().postAtTime(runnable,2000);
                }
            }
        });

Same problem happened with me when i try to show popup menu in activity i also got same excpetion but i encounter problem n resolve by providing context

YourActivityName.this instead of getApplicationContext() at

Dialog dialog = new Dialog(getApplicationContext());

and yes it worked for me may it will help someone else

Use:

YourActivityName.this

Instead of:

getApplicationContext();

use this method before show

public static ViewGroup getActivityFirstLayout(Context ctx)
{
    return (ViewGroup)((ViewGroup) ActivityMaster.getActivity(ctx).findViewById(android.R.id.content)).getChildAt(0);
}

private boolean activityIsOk(Activity activity)
{
    boolean s1 = !(activity == null || activity.isFinishing());

    if(s1)
    {
        View v = LayoutMaster.getActivityFirstLayout(activity);
        return v.isShown() && ViewCompat.isLaidOut(v);
    }

    return false;
}