You overrode the wrong onCreate – you do not want to use the PersistableBundle version. Change your onCreate to only take the savedInstanceState: Bundle? parameter:

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    Timber.d("onCreate") // Now it'll be called
}

I have a simple case of Activity1 -> Activity2.

In the past when I’ve used startActivity(Intent(this, Activity2::class.java)) there have been no issues and the onCreate() method of Activity2 would be called.

In my current case this is not happening. I have logs in the onCreate() method and they are never hit. But if I create a onStart() method it enters there. However, never in my logs for the lifetime of the application does onCreate() of Activity2 ever get hit. How is this possible. onCreate is a requirement before onStart I thought.

Here is the actual code I’m referencing above.

class Activity1 : AppCompatActivity() {

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        Timber.d("onCreate")

        setContentView(R.layout.activity_splash)

        startActivity(Activity2.getIntent(this))
    }
}

class Activity2 : AppCompatActivity() {

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?, persistentState: PersistableBundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState, persistentState)
        Timber.d("onCreate") // Never gets touched
    }

    override fun onStart() {
        super.onStart()
        Timber.d("onStart"); // Is hit with no problems.
    }

    companion object {
        fun getIntent(@NonNull context: Context) : Intent {
            return Intent(context, Activity2::class.java)
        }
    }
}