Android 13+/HyperOS (Xiaomi): LocalNotifications.requestPermissions() crashes with NPE in Capacitor getPermissionStates (FATAL EXCEPTION: CapacitorPlugins)

[pruebarub7]

Bug Report

Plugin(s)

[@capacitor/local-notifications] 8.0.0 (Android)
(Context) Capacitor core/runtime: [@capacitor/core] 8.0.0, [@capacitor/android] 8.0.0, @capacitor/cli 8.0.0

Capacitor Version

   Capacitor Doctor   

Latest Dependencies:

  @capacitor/cli: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/core: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/android: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/ios: 8.1.0

Installed Dependencies:

  @capacitor/ios: not installed
  @capacitor/cli: 8.0.0
  @capacitor/core: 8.0.0
  @capacitor/android: 8.0.0

[success] Android looking great! 👌

Platform(s)

Android (reproductable in Android 14 and Android 15, with Xiaomi/HyperOS)
Not reproductable in older Android Xiaomi tablet (without [POST_NOTIFICATIONS] runtime)

Current Behavior

• En algunos dispositivos Xiaomi con HyperOS, al llamar LocalNotifications.requestPermissions() (Android 13+), la app crashea inmediatamente.

• Logcat (release/R8) shows:
  FATAL EXCEPTION: CapacitorPlugins
  java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
  [at com.getcapacitor..getPermissionStates(...)]
  [at com.getcapacitor..getPermissionState(...)]
  [at com.capacitorjs.plugins.localnotifications.LocalNotificationsPlugin.requestPermissions(...)]

Expected Behavior

Standard permissions dialog for Android is shown for [POST_NOTIFICATIONS] and app doesn't crash.
[LocalNotifications.requestPermissions()] should resolve with final state.

Code Reproduction

Can't publish a public rep for “minimal reproduction”, but it's extremely small:

• Create an app with Capacitor Android with [@capacitor/local-notifications]
• Ensure [android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS]
• With Android 13+, call [LocalNotifications.requestPermissions()] (from a button or toggle).
• Compilar [release] (R8 enabled) and install in affected Xiaomi/HyperOS.
• Result: Resultado: crash with NPE at [getPermissionStates]

Snippet (TS) of failure point:

import { LocalNotifications } from '@capacitor/local-notifications';

await LocalNotifications.requestPermissions(); // crash in some Xiaomi HyperOS

Other Technical Details

Workaround that solves the crash:

Ask for [POST_NOTIFICATIONS] using Activity Result API (RequestPermission) in native Android code (avoiding the “permission aliases” flux of Capacitor).
With this, permission is asked/accepted with no error and no crash.

Si el equipo lo prefiere, puedo preparar un repo reproducible mínimo siguiendo las instrucciones del contributing guide (indicadme y lo hago).

Other Technical Details

• Confirmed affected devices:
  Xiaomi Mi 11 — HyperOS 1.0.12.0.UKBEUXM — Android 14
  Xiaomi Poco F5 — HyperOS 2.0.218.0.VMRMIXM — Android 15

• targetSdkVersion: 36

• Build: [release] with minify/shrink (R8)

• A/B test confirmado:
  Without workaround (using [LocalNotifications.requestPermissions()] in Android): crashes.
  With workaround (permission asked using Activity Result API): doesn't crash, standard PermissionController is shown.

Additional Context

Stacktrace (excerpt) of crash (release/R8):

• Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
  [at com.getcapacitor.D.getPermissionStates(SourceFile:19)]
  [at com.getcapacitor.D.getPermissionState(SourceFile:1)]
  [at com.capacitorjs.plugins.localnotifications.LocalNotificationsPlugin.requestPermissions(SourceFile:9)]

It seems an edge-case/bug at the Android core of Capacitor when solving state for permissions/alias in these HyperOS devices, triggered from LocalNotifications when asking for [POST_NOTIFICATIONS] (Android 13+).