org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command

Randomly getting below issue: org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Appium Desktop : 1.21.0

Below are the error:

org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Original error: Cannot invoke method private android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityNodeInfo androidx.test.uiautomator.UiObject2.getAccessibilityNodeInfo() on object androidx.test.uiautomator.UiObject2@1a17b with parameters []
Build info: version: '3.141.59', revision: 'e82be7d358', time: '2018-11-14T08:17:03'
System info: host: 'WJLP-1626', ip: '192.168.247.2', os.name: 'Windows 10', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '10.0', java.version: '14.0.2'
Driver info: io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver
fullReset: false, newCommandTimeout: 30, noReset: false, platformName: android, platformVersion: 9, systemPort: 8200, udid: FARCT84DU8KZJZR8}, 
deviceApiLevel: 28, deviceManufacturer: OPPO, deviceModel: CPH2083, deviceName: FARCT84DU8KZJZR8, deviceScreenDensity: 272, deviceScreenSize: 720x1520, deviceUDID: 
FARCT84DU8KZJZR8, disableWindowAnimation: true, fullReset: false, javascriptEnabled: true, locationContextEnabled: false, networkConnectionEnabled: true, 
newCommandTimeout: 30, noReset: false, pixelRatio: 1.7, platform: LINUX, platformName: Android, platformVersion: 9, statBarHeight: 56, systemPort: 8200, 
takesScreenshot: true, udid: FARCT84DU8KZJZR8, viewportRect: {height: 1333, left: 0, top: 56, width: 720}, warnings: {}, webStorageEnabled: false}
Session ID: f2147fc0-945d-4221-9dc2-e2c7f9fd86c6
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
	at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstanceWithCaller(Constructor.java:500)
	at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:481)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.W3CHttpResponseCodec.createException(W3CHttpResponseCodec.java:187)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.W3CHttpResponseCodec.decode(W3CHttpResponseCodec.java:122)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.W3CHttpResponseCodec.decode(W3CHttpResponseCodec.java:49)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.HttpCommandExecutor.execute(HttpCommandExecutor.java:158)
	at io.appium.java_client.remote.AppiumCommandExecutor.execute(AppiumCommandExecutor.java:247)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:552)
	at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileDriver.execute(DefaultGenericMobileDriver.java:41)
	at io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver.execute(AppiumDriver.java:1)
	at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver.execute(AndroidDriver.java:1)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebElement.execute(RemoteWebElement.java:285)
	at io.appium.java_client.DefaultGenericMobileElement.execute(DefaultGenericMobileElement.java:45)
	at io.appium.java_client.MobileElement.execute(MobileElement.java:1)
	at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidElement.execute(AndroidElement.java:1)
	at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebElement.isDisplayed(RemoteWebElement.java:326)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564)
	at io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.ElementInterceptor.getObject(ElementInterceptor.java:40)
	at io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.interceptors.InterceptorOfASingleElement.intercept(InterceptorOfASingleElement.java:60)
	at io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidElement$$EnhancerByCGLIB$$b598166c.isDisplayed(<generated>)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions.elementIfVisible(ExpectedConditions.java:314)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions.access$000(ExpectedConditions.java:43)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions$10.apply(ExpectedConditions.java:300)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions$10.apply(ExpectedConditions.java:297)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions$25.apply(ExpectedConditions.java:731)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions$25.apply(ExpectedConditions.java:727)
	at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.FluentWait.until(FluentWait.java:249)
	at activitiesobject.commonmodule.header.HeaderMenu.isHeaderNavigationScreenDisplayed(HeaderMenu.java:125)
	at activitiesobject.commonmodule.header.HeaderMenu.isNavigatedToScreen(HeaderMenu.java:140)
	at activitiesobject.commonmodule.TermsAndConditions.isTermsAndConditionScreenDisplayed(TermsAndConditions.java:37)
	at screens.TestPermission.navigatedToTermsAndConditionsScreen(TestPermission.java:42)
	at ✽.Navigated to terms and conditions screen(classpath:features/01_Pre-Registration.feature:24)

[mykola-mokhnach]

The patch has been published to appium@beta

[mykola-mokhnach]

You could try to ask at Appium forum if you are looking for concrete recipes for the java client.

The general advice to avoid stale element exception is to repeat element search instead of using the cached web element instance.