Android: Check if service is running via. bindService

Question

What would be the best way to check if an Android Service is running? I am aware of the ActivityManager API, but it seems like the use of the API is not advised for

Answer 1

I have the same issue; seems the best known solution is to create a public static boolean in WhateverService, set to true during onCreate (or onStartCommand, your choice) and false during onDestroy. You can then access it from any other class in the same apk. This may be racey though. There is no API within Android to check if a service is running (without side effects): See http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/8c4bd731681b8331/bf3ae8ef79cad75d

I suppose the race condition comes from the fact that the OS may kill a remote service (in another process) at any time. Checking a local service (same process), as suggested above, seems race-free to me -- if the OS kills the service, it kills whatever checked its status too.