Error inflating class android.webkit.WebView happens sporadically in production

Question

my application is on Google Play and it runs fine on most of devices (thousands of users). But in rare cases (fraction of percent of daily active users) I get Error inflating class android.webkit.WebView when I inflate layout for my fragment in onCreateView method. Full stack trace is following:

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.tapmedia.tapito/com.tapmedia.tapito.LockscreenActivity}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #20: Error inflating class android.webkit.WebView
   at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2694)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2759)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.access$900(ActivityThread.java:178)
   at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1449)
   at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
   at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5944)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194)
Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #20: Error inflating class android.webkit.WebView
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:640)
   at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneLayoutInflater.onCreateView(PhoneLayoutInflater.java:55)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.onCreateView(LayoutInflater.java:689)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:748)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:821)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.WebViewFragment.onCreateView(SourceFile:84)
   at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(SourceFile:1789)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:924)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:1116)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.onCreateView(SourceFile:2196)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onCreateView(SourceFile:300)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:838)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV11.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:34)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.onCreateView(SourceFile:826)
   at android.support.v4.view.LayoutInflaterCompatHC$FactoryWrapperHC.onCreateView(SourceFile:44)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:732)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:366)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.setContentView(SourceFile:249)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.setContentView(SourceFile:106)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.LockscreenActivity.onCreate(SourceFile:103)
   at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6289)
   at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1119)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2647)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2759)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.access$900(ActivityThread.java:178)
   at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1449)
   at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
   at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5944)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194)
Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
   at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:288)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:614)
   at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneLayoutInflater.onCreateView(PhoneLayoutInflater.java:55)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.onCreateView(LayoutInflater.java:689)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:748)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:821)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.WebViewFragment.onCreateView(SourceFile:84)
   at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(SourceFile:1789)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:924)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:1116)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.onCreateView(SourceFile:2196)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onCreateView(SourceFile:300)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:838)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV11.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:34)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.onCreateView(SourceFile:826)
   at android.support.v4.view.LayoutInflaterCompatHC$FactoryWrapperHC.onCreateView(SourceFile:44)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:732)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:366)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.setContentView(SourceFile:249)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.setContentView(SourceFile:106)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.LockscreenActivity.onCreate(SourceFile:103)
   at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6289)
   at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1119)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2647)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2759)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.access$900(ActivityThread.java:178)
   at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1449)
   at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
   at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5944)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194)
Caused by: android.util.AndroidRuntimeException: android.content.pm.PackageManager$NameNotFoundException: com.google.android.webview
   at android.webkit.WebViewFactory.getFactoryClass(WebViewFactory.java:161)
   at android.webkit.WebViewFactory.getProvider(WebViewFactory.java:101)
   at android.webkit.WebView.getFactory(WebView.java:2193)
   at android.webkit.WebView.ensureProviderCreated(WebView.java:2188)
   at android.webkit.WebView.setOverScrollMode(WebView.java:2247)
   at android.view.View.(View.java:3795)
   at android.view.View.(View.java:3909)
   at android.view.ViewGroup.(ViewGroup.java:507)
   at android.widget.AbsoluteLayout.(AbsoluteLayout.java:55)
   at android.webkit.WebView.(WebView.java:547)
   at android.webkit.WebView.(WebView.java:492)
   at android.webkit.WebView.(WebView.java:475)
   at android.webkit.WebView.(WebView.java:462)
   at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:288)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:614)
   at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneLayoutInflater.onCreateView(PhoneLayoutInflater.java:55)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.onCreateView(LayoutInflater.java:689)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:748)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:821)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.WebViewFragment.onCreateView(SourceFile:84)
   at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(SourceFile:1789)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:924)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(SourceFile:1116)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.onCreateView(SourceFile:2196)
   at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onCreateView(SourceFile:300)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:838)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV11.callActivityOnCreateView(SourceFile:34)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.onCreateView(SourceFile:826)
   at android.support.v4.view.LayoutInflaterCompatHC$FactoryWrapperHC.onCreateView(SourceFile:44)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:732)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:813)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:511)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:415)
   at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:366)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV7.setContentView(SourceFile:249)
   at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.setContentView(SourceFile:106)
   at com.tapmedia.tapito.LockscreenActivity.onCreate(SourceFile:103)
   at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6289)
   at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1119)

   at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2647)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2759)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.access$900(ActivityThread.java:178)
   at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1449)
   at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
   at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
   at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5944)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399)
   at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194)
Caused by: android.content.pm.PackageManager$NameNotFoundException: com.google.android.webview
   at android.app.ApplicationPackageManager.getPackageInfo(ApplicationPackageManager.java:137)
   at android.webkit.WebViewFactory.getFactoryClass(WebViewFactory.java:133)
   at android.webkit.WebViewFactory.getProvider(WebViewFactory.java:101)
   at android.webkit.WebView.getFactory(WebView.java:2193)
   at android.webkit.WebView.ensureProviderCreated(WebView.java:2188)
   at android.webkit.WebView.setOverScrollMode(WebView.java:2247)
   at android.view.View.(View.java:3795)
   at android.view.View.(View.java:3

Answer 1

If you see these reports from devices running Android Lollipop, please ignore them. This likely happens whenever something launches an activity that uses WebView while the WebView package is in the middle of being updated by Play Store (which can only happen on Lollipop currently). During updates, packages are treated as not installed by the package manager. That is, there is nothing wrong with your app. The time window while the updated package is considered non-existent is typically small, so when the app is relaunched after such a crash, it will start normally.