[Bug]: Crash on start on android 6

[Gia90]

Problem description

Termux crashes on start after a fresh install on android 6.
If you don't support this version of android, feel free to close this issue.

Steps to reproduce the behavior.

Just open the app after installing it.

What is the expected behavior?

No response

System information

Crash Details

Crash Thread: Thread[main,5,main]
Crash Timestamp: 2026-05-12 18:32:37.370 UTC

Crash Message:

Unable to create service com.termux.app.TermuxService: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.lang.String java.lang.CharSequence.toString()' on a null object reference

Stacktrace

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to create service com.termux.app.TermuxService: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.lang.String java.lang.CharSequence.toString()' on a null object reference
  at android.app.ActivityThread.handleCreateService(ActivityThread.java:3048)
  at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2000(ActivityThread.java:156)
  at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1493)
  at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
  at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148)
  at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5609)
  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:746)
  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:636)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.lang.String java.lang.CharSequence.toString()' on a null object reference
  at android.app.Notification$Builder.processLegacyText(Notification.java:3217)
  at android.app.Notification$Builder.access$1100(Notification.java:2009)
  at android.app.Notification$BigTextStyle.makeBigContentView(Notification.java:4283)
  at android.app.Notification$BigTextStyle.populateBigContentView(Notification.java:4321)
  at android.app.Notification$Style.buildStyled(Notification.java:3858)
  at android.app.Notification$Builder.build(Notification.java:3661)
  at com.termux.app.TermuxService.buildNotification(TermuxService.java:841)
  at com.termux.app.TermuxService.runStartForeground(TermuxService.java:206)
  at com.termux.app.TermuxService.onCreate(TermuxService.java:120)
  at android.app.ActivityThread.handleCreateService(ActivityThread.java:3038)
  ... 8 more

Termux App Info

APP_NAME: Termux
PACKAGE_NAME: com.termux
VERSION_NAME: 0.119.0-beta.3
VERSION_CODE: 1022
UID: 10107
TARGET_SDK: 28
IS_DEBUGGABLE_BUILD: true
SE_PROCESS_CONTEXT: u:r:untrusted_app:s0:c512,c768
SE_FILE_CONTEXT: u:object_r:app_data_file:s0:c512,c768
SE_INFO: default
TERMUX_APP_PACKAGE_MANAGER: APT
TERMUX_APP_PACKAGE_VARIANT: APT_ANDROID_5
APK_RELEASE: Github
SIGNING_CERTIFICATE_SHA256_DIGEST: B6DA01480EEFD5FBF2CD3771B8D1021EC791304BDD6C4BF41D3FAABAD48EE5E1

Device Info

Software

OS_VERSION: 3.14.55-x86_64-g507a67e
SDK_INT: 23
RELEASE: 6.0.1
ID: MMB29M
DISPLAY: YT3-X90L_USR_S200384_2108162142_WW17_BP_ROW
INCREMENTAL: YT3-X90L_USR_S200384_2108162142_WW17_BP_ROW
SECURITY_PATCH: 2018-01-01
IS_DEBUGGABLE: 0
TYPE: user
TAGS: release-keys

Hardware

MANUFACTURER: LENOVO
BRAND: Lenovo
MODEL: Lenovo YT3-X90L
PRODUCT: YT3_10_row_lte
BOARD: r2_cht_ffd
HARDWARE: r2_cht_ffd
DEVICE: YT3
SUPPORTED_ABIS: x86_64, x86, armeabi-v7a, armeabi, arm64-v8a
SUPPORTED_32_BIT_ABIS: x86, armeabi-v7a, armeabi
SUPPORTED_64_BIT_ABIS: x86_64, arm64-v8a

[agnostic-apollo]

Can you test if apt-android-5 APK from here works?

https://github.com/termux/termux-app/actions/runs/25764756014?pr=5114

[Gia90]

Thanks @agnostic-apollo the build you linked works correctly!