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TopologicalQubit
Up and Coming
November 11, 2025
Solved

v83 PTC - Not able to launch any apps from the new launcher today

Been using the new v83 (I think) launcher with the display which features the offset library app rows for the last few days and it's been great until I shut the headset down yesterday and let it do an update of some sort.  Now when the headset boots up the two startup apps which usually great me don't execute so I just have an empty screen.  When I press the horizon (infinity) controller button the library menu comes up with all my installed apps, but none of them will startup when I click them.  All this was working fine yesterday before the update.  I shut it down every evening and let it do an update if needed.

More detail:

On the left of the menu, the "Search" icon does not work, but the "Menu" Filter icon does and shows the All, Horizon+, Hidden, Prototypes, Unknown Sources and Downloads options.  Below the Filter icon, the "Open Store" link is unresponsive and doesn't bring up the store when clicked.

The bottom line of icons on the menu is not very responsive either.  The first "You" icon with image of my avatar does nothing when I click it, the "Home" icon does successfully make the menu disappear, clicking on the "Worlds" icon does nothing, next the currently selected "Library" icon which the offset rows of applications which I'm looking it does nothing when I click it (but it's currently selected), the "People" icon does nothing when I click it, the "Quick Controls" icon does nothing when click it and finally the "Notifications" icon does nothing when I click it.

As I said, none of the apps in the library will launch (via A or trigger), however if one of the apps needs an update clicking the app will cause it to be updated.  Also, doing a long press of the trigger or A will cause the context meu for that app to display.

Unfortunately, I can't get into settings to find out the exact version number of Horizon OS which is currently installed.

One last interesting detail is that when I long press the power button on the left side of my Quest 3, I expect to get a menu of options with the third option being to shut down the headset.  I no longer get that menu.  I instead have to press the same power button long enough for a hard shutdown.

I don't want to do a reset unless I absolutely have to.

Hopefully someone will have some suggestions more productive than just simply suggesting a reset.

Thanks

    k96e
    k96eAnswer
    New Participant
    November 14, 2025

    Are you able to connect via adb now? This solves the problem:

    adb shell pm clear com.oculus.vrshell

     

    View in thread

    13 replies

    StarKnight929603
    Participant
    November 11, 2025

    v83 is a full of never-solved bugs, some of them open for a very long time and so far no updates from Meta, who doesn't even read this forum. My only suggestion is to get out of PTC like I did and hope these bugs won't be present in live firmware (which is likely).

    Maccyb123
    Honored Contributor
    November 11, 2025

    Star.Knight v83 is definitely buggy, all PTC releases are. They're never solved until the public release arrives when hopefully the vast majority will be solved. If you feel unhappy about that don't join the PTC program and stick to final releases. As a PTC participant, your device is a guinea pig for testing. You are right that Meta software developers are unlikely to be reading this forum......That's what the bug report option within the headset is for. You need to understand the process involved in developing firmware and software. If you don't understand what you're getting yourself into, you should not be in it. 

      TopologicalQubitAuthor
      Up and Coming
      November 11, 2025

      The headset would not allow me to file a bug report because of the bug I was explaining.  I've since reported the bug via the Horizon App instead. 

      I really appreciate responses from people who will try to help even though it's not their job instead of making assumptions and trying to belittle people they've just met.  Please don't respond again.

      DoctorBagPhD
      Participant
      November 12, 2025

      This is the Meta Quest experience, either embrace it or find a different device.

      TopologicalQubitAuthor
      Up and Coming
      November 19, 2025

      Yes, can appreciate fun being poked at Meta here and definitely understand your frustration.  Not that helpful though and nothing I didn't already know though.

      k96e
      k96eAnswer
      New Participant
      November 14, 2025

      Are you able to connect via adb now? This solves the problem:

      adb shell pm clear com.oculus.vrshell

       

        kvn1351
        New Participant
        November 17, 2025

        I also couldn't open apps, nor send error reports or authorise new computers for ADB. I was fully locked out. I could see all of my apps in the navigator and switch home environments but I couldn't open any app at all. It wouldn't even enter some loading screen or so. It just wouldn't do anything when pressing the app icons. I couldn't enter settings either.

        All of this also after multiple reboots, even hard reboot. Nada. Luckily I had an authorised ADB connection that I had set up prior and with the command above everything is fine again. 

        What made this happen in the first place was a freeze during the loading of an app immediately after a reboot (so I suppose that both the memory and cpu was quite taxed). It froze for 10s and just powered off. After that it found itself in that weird state. 

        Quest 3 512GB. v83.

        TopologicalQubitAuthor
        Up and Coming
        November 19, 2025

        Thanks for sharing your experience! 

        It seems to me that Meta HorizonOS provides far fewer tools (more high level than ADB) for management and visibility to problems of misbehaving apps than current Android phones, for instance.  For me it kind of hardens back to the control I recall having back in Android 6 or before.

        I really wish Meta all the luck in improving the durability of this Android OS variant without hobbling it!  They're definitely going to have some stiff competition from Android XR and Steam Frame in the near future.

        I guess you and I will try to help Meta in the PTC while these other unhelpful posters just assume and harass.

        Thanks again

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