Develop Reference

Controlling background service from another instance of an app

I made an application that fires a long-lived background service. Sometimes the application itself is closed, and the service keeps running, which is the way I want it.
The problem is that I don't know how to control that service after the caller application is closed. For example if the users re-opened the app, I'd like to give them the option whether to kill that process or keep it running.
I am able to detect if the service is running by using the following function (taken from this solution):
private boolean isMyServiceRunning(Class<?> serviceClass) {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service :manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if (serviceClass.getName().equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
I tried then calling this line from the activity, but that didn't do anything:
if(isMyServiceRunning(MyService.class)) {
stopService(new Intent(this, MyService.class));
}

How to implement a background service that will run when the app is closed and stop when the app is open

How to implement a background service that will run when the app is closed and stop when the app is open.I have a singleton websocket connection if app is closed i should be able to notify the user via notification if app is open then i should be able to update ui from single websocket communication.

onStop() of your MainActivity you can start the service, in onCreate() you can check if service is running, if it is running you can stop it.
public static boolean isServiceRunning(Class<?> serviceClass, Context context) {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (ActivityManager.RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if (serviceClass.getName().equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
This method will tell you weather service is running or not

When an android service is really started?

I have tested this method:
private boolean isMyServiceRunning() {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if (MyService.class.getName().equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
When I call a bindService() in my activity without startService(), my service is running (checked it with the prevoious method) but I was thinking that only startService() can start a service!
So I just want to know when a service has really begun: with startService() or binService()
Just a comment, Only when I call unBindService(), the previous method return false.
Thanks.

getRunningServices() returns the running services. Services will be running if they have been started by startService() or bound to via bindService().

Stopping service explicitly

I have an app, which contains two activities and a service and a reciever, service is used to get the location updates all the time, i will start the service in the reciever for the first time, my requirement is, i need to stop the service when my application is in foreground (running), and i need to start the service when i application is stopped. among two activities initActivity is the first activity that get launched when application starts, and the homegridActivity id the second activity, i am giving the option in homegridactivity to exit from the application. below is the code where i am starting the service and stoping the service.
class initActivity extends Activity {
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.app);
System.out.println("VANDROID service status inside oncreate of init" );
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if ("com.vaayoo.android.service.VLocationFetchService".equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
Intent intent = new Intent( VUiHelper.getInstance().getApplicationContext(), VLocationFetchService.class);
boolean result = ((Vandroid)VUiHelper.getInstance().getApplicationContext()).stopService(intent);
System.out.println("VANDROID service status" + result);
manager = null;
}
}
}
}
//second Activity
Class HomeGridActivity extends Activity
{
protected void onDestroy() {
super.onDestroy();
System.out.println("Homegrid activity onDestroy called");
VUiHelper.getInstance().clearControlCache();
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager)getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if ("com.vaayoo.android.service.VLocationFetchService".equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
Intent intent = new Intent( VUiHelper.getInstance().getApplicationContext(), VLocationFetchService.class);
ComponentName compname =((Vandroid) VUiHelper.getInstance().getApplicationContext()).startService(intent);
System.out.println("COMPONENT NAME" + compname.toString() );
manager = null;
}
}
}
}
I am stoping the service in oncreate on the initactivity and starting the same service in ondestroy of homegridActivity, the problem i am facing is, this is working only for the first time, if i close and launch the app multiple times, service is not stoping and starting, i found that, the service is running all the time. i have made that service as start_sticky so that is should not be killed by android runtime at any point of time, i should have full control on that service to stop and start. not able to find out why it is not working all the time, why it is working only for the first time. what i am doing wrong ? how to troubleshoot this? is it because of making service as start_sticky?

This method is return true or false means.when service is ruuning than reture true otherwise false. so you can use this method when r you use just like this.
private boolean isMyServiceRunning() {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager
.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if ("packagename".equals(service.service
.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
and check like that.
if (isMyServiceRunning()) {
stopService(new Intent(A.this, MusicService.class));
}

Android: check if my Service is running in the background

I am running a Service to get Notifications every 1 hour in my application.
The service definitely runs every 1 hr; I checked it using the Logcat.
But since I am starting this Service in the onResume() of my MainActivity, I want to check whether the Service is already running, and start it only if it's not running.
I used this code:
private boolean isMyServiceRunning() {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if ("com.android.MyApp.MyServices.NotificationsService".equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
But I always get false.
So I checked what output service.service.getClassName() gives. And my Service is not there in the list.
Is it because my application is unknown? or something else?

I know its bit late but this answer might help others who are looking for the same.
Have you started your service by using context.startService()?
Make sure that the manifest file contains following:
<service android:name="com.android.MyApp.MyServices.NotificationsService" />

private boolean isMyServiceRunning(Context mContext) {
ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) mContext
.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager
.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if (**HERE_YOUR_SERVICE'S_CLASS_NAME**.class.getName().equals(
service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
// i have background GPS service and i have successfully checked that my GPS service is either running or not.
// Happy coding...