Develop Reference

Android: package-related intents not fired

I'm developing a launcher application, I just added a broadcast receiver I will use to update the app list. I initially tried to receive ACTION_PACKAGE_ADDED and ACTION_PACKAGE_REMOVED as they seemed enought for the job, however none where fired so I added all other package-related actions I deemed useful and tried to register for them both in the activity:
val intentFilter = IntentFilter()
intentFilter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_ADDED)
intentFilter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_REMOVED)
intentFilter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED)
intentFilter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_INSTALL)
intentFilter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_REPLACED)
val rec = AppsInstallationsReceiver()
registerReceiver(rec, intentFilter)
and manifest:
<receiver android:name=".core.installed_apps.AppsInstallationsReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_ADDED" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_REMOVED" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_INSTALL" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_REPLACED" />
<data android:scheme="package"/>
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
The receiver itself is nothing special:
class AppsInstallationsReceiver : BroadcastReceiver() {
override fun onReceive(p0: Context?, p1: Intent?) {
//TODO
}
}
turns out I only receive PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED and only if it's registered in the manifest.
Now this is good enought, but I need a way to know when new apps are installed. Since this is a launcher app this feature is critical. Why am I not receiving anything? the activity of course still exists the background since it is used as launcher.

First of all, you should be aware about the Implicit Broadcast Limitations introduced from Android 8.0 and above.
The broadcasts you registered come under the catergory of restricted broadcasts (except ACTION_PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED). So, you won't receive these events when you register the actions from manifest. So, remove the receiver entry from manifest.
The alternative solution to this would be to register these broadcasts programatically - which you have already done.
The only thing missing here is to add intentFilter.addDataScheme("package") before registering the receiver.
Hoping this should resolve your issue.

Android Receivers not doing as expected

Well honestly, they aren't doing anything at all. Let me start by saying that I know that Android reworked receivers in 3.1, specifically boot control. I know that they made it so that ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED cannot be used unless the application has been previously launched by the user. However, people have been successful in using them in current application, yet I am never hitting my receivers for my BOOT_COMPLETED or my SHUTDOWN.
Quick Edit - Please look at the bottom of this post for corrected Shutdown Receiver, I have gotten it to work and am now just stuck in my efforts to get BOOT_COMPLETED to work.
My manifest:
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.smashingboxes.speedblock"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >
<uses-sdk
android:minSdkVersion="12"
android:targetSdkVersion="18" />
<!-- PERMISSIONS -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
...
<!-- RECEIVERS -->
<receiver android:name=".BootReceiver"
android:enabled="true" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
<receiver android:name=".ShutdownReceiver" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.SHUTDOWN" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
Now my implemented receiver classes are fairly straight forward:
BOOT_COMPLETED Receiver (the one that isn't working)
public class BootReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{
#Override
public void onReceive(Context c, Intent i) {
Intent starterIntent = new Intent(c, LaunchActivity.class);
// Start the activity (by utilizing the passed context)
starterIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
c.getApplicationContext().startService(starterIntent);
}
}
I have tried different things based on what I have seen as far as solutions, such as altering my launching activity to include
/* May need this, as of 3.1 we can't call BOOT_COMPLETED until the app has been run successfully */
Intent intent = new Intent("com.smashingboxes.speedblock.intent");
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_INCLUDE_STOPPED_PACKAGES);
this.sendBroadcast(intent);
or including this in my boot receiver intent-filter in my manifest
<action android:name="android.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWERON" />
Nothing seems to work. When Logs are inserted into my receiver methods they are never hit. Apparently people are still using these two receivers fairly regularly, which is why I am having trouble understanding why neither of them work. Have I missed something with my registration or something?
--EDIT--
I have solved the problem with my shutdown receiver. First, I foolishly forgot the ACTION_ portion of the tag. Secondly, HTC has separate shutdown methods, in my case I needed to add an intent-filter to my Receiver request:
<receiver android:name=".ShutdownReceiver" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_SHUTDOWN" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWEROFF" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
Now my Shutdown Receiver works, still no luck on the Boot Completed Receiver though.

I found the answer and I think that it is actually important to note, as it seems like an issue others will run into at some point. My issue was that I was launching a "Launcher Activity" called just that, LauncherActivity. Basically, it acted as my gateway to start up services, receivers, and such when the application was launched. It is a very simple Activity class:
public class LaunchActivity extends Activity{
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
/* May need this, as of 3.1 we can't call BOOT_COMPLETED until the app has been run successfully */
Intent intent = new Intent("com.smashingboxes.speedapp.intent");
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_INCLUDE_STOPPED_PACKAGES);
this.sendBroadcast(intent);
}
#Override
protected void onStart(){
super.onStart();
Intent serviceIntent = new Intent(this, MainService.class);
startService(serviceIntent);
// NOTE: It is VERY, VERY important that we DO NOT finish this activity.
// If we do, our BootReceiver will no longer receive its broadcast and
// we won't auto-start on boot
//finish();
}
}
Note that I was calling finish() on the LaunchActivity. The problem with this is that it seemed to tell Android that the application was in the stopped state, meaning that it won't allow the reception of the BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast, even though I had a number of services running in the background. The LauncherActivity MUST stay active throughout the entire life-cycle or the BOOT_COMPLETED receiver becomes useless. Something that I haven't really seen mentioned before, but again something I think is worth noting.

How do I use the intent action USER_PRESENT?

I have a clock widget application, and I need to recognize when the phone has been unlocked or not, I believe I can use action USER_PRESENT for that, but I can't get it to launch in the BroadcastReceiver class, I set it in the manifest like this:
<receiver
android:name="com.myApp.myApp.MyWidgetIntentReceiver"
android:exported="false"
android:label="widgetBroadcastReceiver" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.USER_PRESENT" >
</action>
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="#xml/demo_widget_provider" />
</receiver>
And this is how I trying to get it in the BroadcastReceiver:
public class MyWidgetIntentReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
if(intent.getAction().equals(Intent.ACTION_USER_PRESENT){
Log.i("TICK", intent.getAction());
}
}
}
It's not firing after I unlock the phone, can you help me out or provide me a better way to check when the phone has been unlocked? thanks!

Remove android:exported="false"
android:exported:
Whether or not the broadcast receiver can receive 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.
Source : developer.android.com

Remove android:exported="false". That worked for me on Stock Android 5

I got it to work by using registerReceiver in the onUpdate method of the AppWidgetProvider class and passing an instance of the BroadcastReceiver class to register the Intent.ACTION_USER_PRESENT, since adding it only in the Manifest was not doing anything. Thank you!

Where put the intent?Java or Manifest?

Something is still not clear for me; I have to monitoring the battery level and i wrote inside my service in th onCreate this lines:
public void onCreate(){
super.onCreate();
mNotificationManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED);
}
Then in the Manifest:
<receiver android:name=".ReceversAndServices.BatteryLevelReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BATTERY_CHANGED" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
What i don't understand is.. Is it correct write the Intent Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED in the java and also android.intent.action.BATTERY_CHANGED in the Manifest? Or just need only one?

Whenever you are planning on using an Intent Filter, always check with the Intent documentation. If the broadcast cannot be picked up by the manifest Intent Filter, it will usually be described in the documentation. For example, the BATTERY_CHANGED broadcast action provides this information:
You can not receive this through components declared in manifests,
only by explicitly registering for it with Context.registerReceiver().

You only need 1. Writing it in the manifest makes it active as soon as the app is installed. Putting it in the java code will make it active only when the activity/service its created in is running.

Both ways are correct. You can write either in Manifest file or in java file. Some permissions must be write in Manifest file.

android not receiving Intent ACTION_PACKAGE_REMOVED in the removed package

When my android app is removed, I would like to also remove files the app has created on the SD card, as these can consume many megabytes and are only of use to my app.
It seems that receiving the PACKAGE REMOVED intent would be the place to do this.
However, my broadcast receiver is never called--it seems to have been deleted before the PACKAGE REMOVED intent is sent
The code is:
public class UninstallReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
String action= intent.getAction();
Log.i("U", "ACTION " + action);
etc.
}
}
and, in the manifest:
<application android:debuggable="true"
android:icon="#drawable/icon"
android:label="#string/app_name">
<receiver android:name ="com.boom.UninstallReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.PACKAGE_REMOVED"/>
<data android:scheme="package" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>

The documentation says:
The package that is being removed does not receive this Intent.
Android 2.2 added getExternalFilesDir(), which will point to a place on the external storage that Android will automatically clean up when your application is uninstalled. However, that is only for Android 2.2, and there are indications that it does not work particularly well at the moment. However, it is something to keep in mind for 2011.
Beyond that, all you can really do is offer a menu choice somewhere for the user to do the cleanup, and hope users use it before uninstalling you.

Have you tried this?
IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter();
filter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_PACKAGE_REMOVED);
filter.addDataScheme("package");
registerReceiver(new UnInstalledReceiver(), filter);
Also, putting the files of your app in the folder android/data/com.boom/ is a nice easy way to make sure extra files get cleaned up when users uninstall.

You must add the permission in the manifast.
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BROADCAST_PACKAGE_REMOVED" />