I am studying RemoteService example in Android's APISample. In the
manifest file, it declares the service like this:
My question is how can I specify the service to be 'auto-start', i.e.
it gets start whenever the phone start?
<service android:name=".app.RemoteService" android:process=":remote" >
<intent-filter>
<!-- These are the interfaces supported by the service, which
you can bind to. -->
<action
android:name="com.example.android.apis.app.IRemoteService" />
<action
android:name="com.example.android.apis.app.ISecondary" />
<!-- This is an action code you can use to select the service
without explicitly supplying the implementation class. -->
<action android:name="com.example.android.apis.app.REMOTE_SERVICE" />
</intent-filter>
</service>
First, you do not want to do that.
Second, you cannot do that directly. You will need to set up a BroadcastReceiver to watch for the BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast Intent, and have that receiver start the service.
Related
I'm working on a widget that displays information from a completely separate app. The separate app sends a broadcast when its data is changed, and I want to refresh/update my widget upon receiving this broadcast.
I can't seem to work out how to update a widget from within a BroadcastReceiver however. Is there a way to do this? Or another method to get the same result?
If the separate app has special action for its broadcast, you can add the intent filter to the manifest of your widget. Something like this:
<receiver android:name="ExampleAppWidgetProvider" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
<action android:name="SEPARATE_APP_ACTION" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="#xml/example_appwidget_info" />
</receiver>
And just process it in onRecive method of you AppWidgetProvider.
HTH.
I have some receivers declared in my AndroidManifest :
<!-- no warning -->
<receiver
android:name=".receivers.TriggerMonitoringBootReceiver"
android:enabled="false">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
<!-- no warning -->
<receiver
android:name=".receivers.ScanResultsReceiver"
android:enabled="false">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.wifi.SCAN_RESULTS" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
<!-- warning : Exported receiver does not require permission-->
<receiver
android:name=".receivers.BatteryMonitoringReceiver"
android:enabled="false">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_setup_alarm" />
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_cancel_alarm" />
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_monitor" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
The first one is meant to receive a BOOT_COMPLETED action. The second is meant to receive android.net.wifi.SCAN_RESULTS. The third one is meant to receive some actions I broadcast (intent_action_monitor) and some actions broadcasted by the AlarmManager (intent_action_setup_alarm etc).
Two questions:
Why don't I get the warning on all receivers?
What permissions do I need to set for receivers meant to receive from system services to correct the warning (I understand what it is about and I don't want anyone to use my receivers anyway) ? Will exported="false" do for boot receivers, wifi receivers, alarm receivers etc?
I thought of using a custom permission with android:protectionLevel="signatureOrSystem" but the docs advise against both this protection level and custom permissions. So how I should handle this warning ?
Links to the docs and/or some code will be much appreciated.
Why don't I get the warning on all receivers ?
Because the first two are clearly designed to be broadcast by Android. The last one is unknown, partly because you did not supply the string resource values, and possibly because they are your own unique action strings.
What permissions do I need to set for receivers meant to receive from system services to correct the warning
The correct solution is to delete the <intent-filter>. If you are broadcasting these Intents, or if you are wrapping an Intent in a getBroadcast() PendingIntent, you do not need action strings. Use the Intent constructor that takes the Java class object as the second parameter, and use that:
new Intent(this, BatteryMonitoringReceiver.class)
You are welcome to still attach an action string to that Intent, if you want, but you can dump the <intent-filter> (routing will be based on the supplied component, in this case the Java class).
Only use an <intent-filter> when you are expecting the OS or third-party apps to initiate the Intent themselves (executing a PendingIntent that you created does not count).
The warning "Exported receiver does not require permission" means, You have an intent-filter with some action (which means by default you have android:exported="true" set and it can now receive broadcasts from ANY broadcasters outside of your application) Since it can receive broadcasts from ANY broadcasters outside of your application, it warns you by saying "Hey, are you sure ANY broadcaster can invoke you? In my opinion, it is better if you allow only those broadcasters to invoke you that has the permission you have set for this receiver through android:permission"
You can remove this warning by adding android:exported="false" to the receiver tag
If you do want to export your receiver to other processes, you can add your own permission definition in your android-manifest file for avoiding this warning, like
<permission
android:name="com.yourpage.permission.YOUR_PERMISSION"
android:protectionLevel="normal" />
<uses-permission
android:name="com.yourpage.permission.YOUR_PERMISSION" />
<receiver <!-- warning : Exported receiver does not require permission-->
android:name=".receivers.BatteryMonitoringReceiver"
android:permission="com.yourpage.permission.YOUR_PERMISSION"
android:enabled="false" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_setup_alarm" />
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_cancel_alarm" />
<action android:name="#string/intent_action_monitor" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
for more information, you can refer to http://developer.android.com/training/articles/security-tips.html
If, like me, you are here because your app built with a previous SDK version stopped working with more recent versions and you would like to fix it with minimal change, just add
android:exported=false
to the receiver tag in the manifest file. The solution by CommonsWare is obviously the one to go with for the long term but this fixes the issue temporarily if you are using custom intents and don't mean to export them.
Going by Lubo's way, you would need to export this custom permission, which would prompt the user before installation. That means the descriptive text for the permission needs to be well written so you don't end up scaring the user into changing his mind about installing the app. Also, it would need to be translated into all your target languages.
To hide this warning, add tools:ignore="ExportedReceiver" to the receiver:
<receiver
android:name=".MyReceiverIndentedForOtherAppsWithoutPermissions"
tools:ignore="ExportedReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="com.my.app.CUSTOM_ACTION" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
Suppose I want to define a receiver for my own widget and I want it to handle my own broadcast org.test.mywidget.MY_ACTION along with the APPWIDGET_xxx system broadcasts, what is the correct way to define it, if I want it to handle my own broadcast only if it is sent from the same app package? I tried the following XML code but in this way the APPWIDGET_DELETE action was no more delivered to the widget provider:
<receiver
android:name="MyWidgetProvider">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="#xml/my_widget_info" />
</receiver>
<receiver
android:name="MyWidgetProvider"
android:exported="false">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="org.test.mywidget.FORCE_SMALL_WIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
The XML above has the problem I've mentioned (no DELETED events delivered) and it also does not seem good to me, since the receiver is redefined.. So I compacted everything as follows:
<receiver
android:name="MyWidgetProvider">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
<action android:name="org.test.mywidget.FORCE_SMALL_WIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="#xml/my_widget_info" />
</receiver>
This works, APPWIDGET_UPDATE, APPWIDGET_DELETE and my own broadcast are all delivered but now I have a question: are now other apps able to deliver a broadcast intent with the action org.test.mywidget.FORCE_SMALL_WIDGET_UPDATE to my widget, since the android:exported value is set to true by default? Maybe I'm missing some basic concept related to this exported value, so I would be glad if some of you can make me understand everything better :)
if I want it to handle my own broadcast only if it is sent from the same app package?
You do not need, or even want, an action string if it is all going to be within your own package. Just use the Intent constructor that takes a Java class object as the second parameter, and use that for sending broadcasts to be picked up by the receiver.
I tried the following XML code but in this way the APPWIDGET_DELETE action was no more delivered to the widget provider
That is because there is no <intent-filter> referencing that action string in your code.
are now other apps able to deliver a broadcast intent with the action org.test.mywidget.FORCE_SMALL_WIDGET_UPDATE to my widget, since the android:exported value is set to true by default?
Yes. Of course, third party apps can send APPWIDGET_UPDATE broadcasts, or even hack an Intent that identifies your component directly, and you will receive those as well.
I suspect that the right answer, in your case, is to simply implement a second BroadcastReceiver, one with no <intent-filter>, that handles operations that you solely want to be within your package. Or, if you do not need to use a PendingIntent for this BroadcastReceiver, consider LocalBroadcastManager from the Android Support package.
Currently I have a service, TimerService, that broadcasts updates, milestones, and alerts.
In the manifest file:
<!-- WIDGET! -->
<service android:name=".UpdateWidgetService" android:permission="android.permission.BIND_REMOTEVIEWS" ></service>
<receiver
android:icon="#drawable/icon"
android:label="JustInTime"
android:name="com.JustInTime.widget.WidgetProvider" >
<intent-filter >
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="#xml/widget_info" />
</receiver>
Would the UpdateWidgetService register receivers for the TimerService? It seems wrong that one service is listening to another service like this. Also, is it normal to register onClick functionality within the widget, or do you have to use setOnClickPendingIntent?
Goal: To have a widget that works like an alarm clock that listen to broadcasts from a service and then updates the widget as it needs. This update should update the UI, where there are several view items.
If you have good widget examples from this, please share. Most of them are very basic from what I see.
I've just started looking at Android development and I'm creating a little application which will map the "Listen to" intent to the media player power amp (recently released api).
This app has no gui it is mearly a glue between Voice control and power amp.
I can catch the intent android.media.action.MEDIA_PLAY_FROM_SEARCH and control power amp but my issue is that in order to capture android.media.action.MEDIA_PLAY_FROM_SEARCH I must declare my app as an activity and so when I use Voice Control to send the intent my app loads on the screen. I have tried to declare the app as a receiver\service but I wasn't able to get them to capture the intent.
How can the app run hidden but still capture this intent?
Thanks, Ger.
If I understand your needs correctly, you dont actually need any Activity in your app. Just a class that extends BroadcastReceiver and implements the onRecieve(Context, Intent) method of it.
And then in your manifest you can bind that receiver to specific intents you want to listen for. You app will be started without a UI with the entry point being the BroadcastReceiver class you implement.
The manifest entries will look something like:
<receiver android:name=".MyBroadcastReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="com.android.music.metachanged" />
<action android:name="com.amazon.mp3.metachanged" />
<!-- <action android:name="com.amazon.mp3.playstatechanged" /> -->
<!-- <action android:name="com.android.music.playbackcomplete" />-->
<action android:name="com.android.music.playstatechanged" />
<action android:name="com.htc.music.metachanged" />
<!-- <action android:name="com.htc.music.playbackcomplete" />-->
<!-- <action android:name="com.htc.music.playstatechanged" /> -->
<action android:name="com.sec.android.app.music.metachanged" />
<action android:name="com.nullsoft.winamp.metachanged" />
<action android:name="com.nullsoft.winamp.playstatechanged" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>