Android foreground services

In this blog, we going to discuss the Android foreground services.

Android services are the components that run in the background and perform any particular operation. Services run on the main thread until or unless we define the particular thread for the execution of the operation that we want to perform with the services.

Services are basically used to execute the log running task so that the task can be executed in the background while the same user is working or interacting with another part of the application.

The task running on the services must be a non-blocking task that can not harm the main performance of the application.

Storing data into the database and downloading files from the is the basic example of android services.

Services run in the background so sometimes the user will not be aware of the services and at the same, they consume the resources like battery and network data. Android foreground services come into the role for this situation.

Foreground services show the notification to the user. These services are noticeable users can check the services through the notification.

Foreground services will remain unless the services are removed and stopped from the foreground.

Implementation

Adding foreground services permission

For the foreground services, we need to add permission like the below:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />

1	<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />

Declare services on the android manifest

<service android:name=".helpers.MyServices"
            android:exported="false"/>

1 2	<service android:name=".helpers.MyServices" android:exported="false"/>

Create Service class

Create any class that extends the abstract Service class and implements its methods like below:

class MyServices : Service() {

    override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? {
        return null
    }

    override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
        if (intent?.action != null && intent?.action.equals("action_stop_my_services")) {
            stopSelf()
        }
        sendNotification()
        return START_NOT_STICKY
    }

    private fun sendNotification() {

        val pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0 /* Request code */, Intent(this, HomeActivity::class.java), PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT)

        val icon = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(resources, R.mipmap.ic_launcher)
        val defaultSoundUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION)

        val notificationBuilder: NotificationCompat.Builder = NotificationCompat.Builder(this, NOTIFICATION_CHANNEL_ORDERS)


        notificationBuilder.setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_status)
        notificationBuilder.setContentTitle("Foreground Service")
        notificationBuilder.setContentText("Foreground Service started")
        notificationBuilder.setLargeIcon(icon)
        notificationBuilder.setAutoCancel(true)
        notificationBuilder.setVisibility(NotificationCompat.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC)
        if(AppSharedPref.getNotificationSoundEnabled(this)) {
            notificationBuilder.setSound(defaultSoundUri)
        }else{
            notificationBuilder.setSound(null)
            notificationBuilder.setDefaults(0)
            notificationBuilder.setSilent(true)
        }
        notificationBuilder.setContentIntent(pendingIntent)
        notificationBuilder.priority =
                if(AppSharedPref.getNotificationSoundEnabled(this)) {
                    NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_HIGH
                }else{
                    NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_LOW
                }

        startForeground(101/* Notification Id */, notificationBuilder.build())
    }

}

class MyServices : Service() {

override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? {

return null

}

override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {

if (intent?.action != null && intent?.action.equals("action_stop_my_services")) {

stopSelf()

}

sendNotification()

return START_NOT_STICKY

}

private fun sendNotification() {

val pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0 /* Request code */, Intent(this, HomeActivity::class.java), PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT)

val icon = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(resources, R.mipmap.ic_launcher)

val defaultSoundUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION)

val notificationBuilder: NotificationCompat.Builder = NotificationCompat.Builder(this, NOTIFICATION_CHANNEL_ORDERS)

notificationBuilder.setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_status)

notificationBuilder.setContentTitle("Foreground Service")

notificationBuilder.setContentText("Foreground Service started")

notificationBuilder.setLargeIcon(icon)

notificationBuilder.setAutoCancel(true)

notificationBuilder.setVisibility(NotificationCompat.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC)

if(AppSharedPref.getNotificationSoundEnabled(this)) {

notificationBuilder.setSound(defaultSoundUri)

}else{

notificationBuilder.setSound(null)

notificationBuilder.setDefaults(0)

notificationBuilder.setSilent(true)

}

notificationBuilder.setContentIntent(pendingIntent)

notificationBuilder.priority =

if(AppSharedPref.getNotificationSoundEnabled(this)) {

NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_HIGH

}else{

NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_LOW

}

startForeground(101/* Notification Id */, notificationBuilder.build())

}

We have created sendNotification() for showing the notification and calling startForeground with the notification id and the notification.

Start foreground service

val serviceIntent = Intent(this, MyServices::class.java)
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
    this.applicationContext.startForegroundService(serviceIntent)
} else {
    startService(intent)
}

val serviceIntent = Intent(this, MyServices::class.java)

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {

this.applicationContext.startForegroundService(serviceIntent)

} else {

startService(intent)

}

Stop foreground service

val serviceIntent = Intent(mFragmentContext.context, MyServices::class.java)
        serviceIntent.action = "action_stop_my_services"
        mFragmentContext.context?.startService(serviceIntent)

val serviceIntent = Intent(mFragmentContext.context, MyServices::class.java)

serviceIntent.action = "action_stop_my_services"

mFragmentContext.context?.startService(serviceIntent)

Conclusion:

In this blog, we have learned about the implementation of the Android foreground services.

For more information regarding the Android foreground, services follow the link.

Thanks for reading this blog. You can also check other blogs from here.

Akshay Kumar 31 March 2022

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