Develop Reference

Start only one service on smartphone startup or application launch

I'm using NativeScript, just so you know, targeting Android to begin with.
I've been trying to read up on this, but it's just impossible to understand. The Android documentation coupled with all the other answers on SO are just incomplete. I have been at this for days.
Application Purpose
I want my application to do something when a new SMS is received, whether or not the user is in the application, has the application alive but not in the foreground of if the application is not even alive.
Chronological Order
User turns smartphone on.
User downloads application.
User opens application for first time.
The application should now after opening the application should work and do something whenever a SMS has come in, regardless if the user is in the application, has it alive but not in the foreground of has killed the application or even when the smartphones screen is off and the lock is on.
User has forgotten to charge smartphone so smartphone dies, the user charges the smartphone and turns the smartphone on.
The application should immediately start to work on BOOT, doing something if a new SMS is received without having to open the application.
I have yet to find information on how to solve the above situation, in a simple example.
I don't mind the service (I presume I need) being on the main UI thread for now.
What I Have Tried
Manifest:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
<application
android:name="com.tns.NativeScriptApplication"
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="#drawable/icon"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme">
<activity
android:name="com.tns.NativeScriptActivity"
android:label="#string/title_activity_kimera"
android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|screenLayout|locale|uiMode"
android:theme="#style/NoActionBar">
<meta-data android:name="SET_THEME_ON_LAUNCH" android:resource="#style/AppTheme" />
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
<activity android:name="com.tns.ErrorReportActivity"/>
<receiver android:name="io.basickarl.passer.ServiceStarter">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED"/>
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
<service android:enabled="true" android:name="io.basickarl.passer.SMSService" />
</application>
I keep seeing the following things and they are always used differently from each other, and still, it is not clear how to use them:
Service
IntentService
JobIntentService
JobScheduler
JobService
How do I start this service only once when starting the application for the first time like in chronological step 4, preventing this service being started several times and that it works and is listening for incoming SMS's all the time?

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html
android:enabled
Whether or not the broadcast receiver can be
instantiated by the system — "true" if it can be, and "false" if not.
The default value is "true". The < application > element has its own
enabled attribute that applies to all application components,
including broadcast receivers. The < application > and < receiver >
attributes must both be "true" for the broadcast receiver to be
enabled. If either is "false", it is disabled; it cannot be
instantiated.
Since in both places it is true by default the system should register the broadcast receiver by default. I don't need a service.
android:exported
messages from sources outside its application — "true" if it can, and
"false" if not. If "false", the only messages the broadcast receiver
can receive are those sent by components of the same application or
applications with the same user ID. The default value depends on
whether the broadcast receiver contains intent filters. The absence of
any filters means that it can be invoked only by Intent objects that
specify its exact class name. This implies that the receiver is
intended only for application-internal use (since others would not
normally know the class name). So in this case, the default value is
"false". On the other hand, the presence of at least one filter
implies that the broadcast receiver is intended to receive intents
broadcast by the system or other applications, so the default value is
"true".Whether or not the broadcast receiver can receive
I needed to set it to true on the receiver.
Manifest:
<application
android:enabled="true"
...more code
<receiver
android:name="io.basickarl.passer.HandleSMS" android:exported="true" android:enabled="true">
<intent-filter android:priority="2147483647">
<action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
</application>
Code:
android.content.BroadcastReceiver.extend('io.basickarl.passer.HandleSMS', {
onReceive: async function(context, intent) {
// ...do my stuff here
}
});
Now the code runs when the application is killed or straight after a reboot.

BootReceiver not working in all android devices

i have been trying to overcome issue of Boot_complete receiver not working in certain devices.
Like Vivo device which have iManager app with auto-start manager.
Where user can toggle app from auto start on device boot.
What should i use along with below as intent-filter to restart my service after device reboot.
Earlier thought of using Battery_Change receiver but it won't work from manifest, as i has to be runtime receiver register.
Any suggestion would be really help-full.
Below is what i have used as intent-filter for my app. In most devices its working as expected. But not in all.
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWERON" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.REBOOT" />
</intent-filter>

There is one thing my team and I discovered when facing a similar issue.
You can monitor the usb state like so:
<receiver
android:name=".MyReceiver"
android:enabled="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_STATE" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
And if memory serves me right, this will send a broadcast before the regular BOOT_COMPLETED action telling you there is or isn't anything USB connected.
Some manufacturers use their own version of BOOT_COMPLETED as you can read here but the USB_STATE is an alternative, based on the things you want to do. Do note you can get multiple broadcasts using this method!
Alternatively you could look into using an AccessibilityService or the JobService from the firebase sdk. More details here.

Android: what's the meaning of exported receiver's attribute?

<receiver
android:name="MyReceiver"
android:enabled="true"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
I don't understand if it's needed to be notified.
If it were true any app could call my receiver with those actions? So If I make it false the system can send the actions to my receiver?

I don't understand if it's needed to be notified. If it were true any
app could call my receiver with those actions? So If I make it false
the system can send the actions to my receiver?
Actually, others apps cannot "call your receiver". Other apps can just send broadcast Intents. The System will then call all registered receivers.
In general you shouldn't worry about this. Most of these broadcast Intents are protected so that only system apps can broadcast them anyway. An attempt by another app to broadcast BOOT_COMPLETED, for example, would just be ignored. What would happen if your BroadcastReceiver gets triggered by a rogue app because it broadcast CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE? Probably nothing, because your app should check the real connectivity state in onReceive() anyway, and if there isn't any change you can just ignore it.
Also, you don't need to specify android:enabled="true" because this is the default state. You also don't need to specify android:exported="true" because you have an <intent-filter> attached to your <receiver> which automatically sets android:exported to true.

If you set android:exported ="false", implies that the receiver is intended only for application-internal use.
Note: This attribute is not the only way to limit a broadcast receiver's external exposure. You can also use a permission to limit
the external entities that can send it messages

Adding to #SaravInfern's answer. Here is the relevant permission doc for limiting external entities that can send the receiver messages:
https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/restrict-interactions#broadcast-receivers

Android how to listen to new Internet Connection

How can I make my app listen to each new Internet Connection, when it's made by an App? What should I do?
I've tried to use BroadcastReciver for android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE, but it doesn't give me any notifications.
<receiver android:name=".ConnectivityReceiver" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>

I still don't think normal applications can hold the permissions necessary to do what you want. If you hope to have any success you implementation must be deeper than an ordinary application.

For obvious security reasons, this is impossible. CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE will tell you when the device's Internet connections is up or down, but you cannot spy on other apps.

Restrict Broadcast Receiver to application

I am working on broadcast receiver and stuck in a problem.
I am receiving a broadcast receiver in Manifest file.
<receiver class=".MyClass" android:name=".MyClass">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE" />
<action android:name="android.net.ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION" />
<action android:name="android.net.wifi.WIFI_STATE_CHANGED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
this is working fine and it is calling MyClass whenever there is change in connectivity.
Now the problem is whenever my application is not running still this class will receive broadcast receiver. I want it to receive whenever the application is running.
I tried it by extending BroadcastReceiver registering and unregistering broadcast in that class file and it works. But i want to achieve the same by Manifest file.
My problem will solve if it is not receiving anything when application is not opened.

What you are talking is not possible. The whole purpose of having the intent filter in the manifest is being able to receive the intent whether or not your application is running. The only way to do what you want to is by registering/unregistering the receiver from the code [registerReceiver]

The question was asked a long time ago but in case some one landed on this page while searching, It is possible to register and unregister broadcast receiver from code instead of doing that from manifest file. (Checking the Networking Connectivity using BroadcastReceiver in Android)

You said "My problem will solve if it is not receiving anything when application is not opened".
Here how I understand your question and appropriate answer.
android:enabled
Whether or not the broadcast receiver can be instantiated by the system — "true" if it can be, and "false" if not. The default value is "true".
If you want to enable your receiver at runtime, you can set the state to disabled initially. You can do so in the manifest file:
<receiver
android:name=".YourReceiver"
android:enabled="false" >
<!-- your intent filter -->
</receiver>
Source:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/receiver-element.html#enabled
http://www.grokkingandroid.com/enabling-and-disabling-broadcastreceivers/