Determine if Android app is being used for the first time

Question

I am currently developing an android app. I need to do something when the app is launched for the first time, i.e. the code only runs on the first time the program is launch

Answer 1

If you are looking for a simple way, here it is.

Create a utility class like this,

public class ApplicationUtils {

  /**
  * Sets the boolean preference value
  *
  * @param context the current context
  * @param key     the preference key
  * @param value   the value to be set
  */
 public static void setBooleanPreferenceValue(Context context, String key, boolean value) {
     SharedPreferences sp = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
     sp.edit().putBoolean(key, value).apply();
 }

 /**
  * Get the boolean preference value from the SharedPreference
  *
  * @param context the current context
  * @param key     the preference key
  * @return the the preference value
  */
 public static boolean getBooleanPreferenceValue(Context context, String key) {
     SharedPreferences sp = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
     return sp.getBoolean(key, false);
 }

}

At your Main Activity, onCreate()

if(!ApplicationUtils.getBooleanPreferenceValue(this,"isFirstTimeExecution")){
Log.d(TAG, "First time Execution");
ApplicationUtils.setBooleanPreferenceValue(this,"isFirstTimeExecution",true);
// do your first time execution stuff here,
}

Answer 2

You can use Android SharedPreferences .

Android SharedPreferences allows us to store private primitive application data in the form of key-value pair .

CODE

Create a custom class SharedPreference

 public class SharedPreference {

    android.content.SharedPreferences pref;
    android.content.SharedPreferences.Editor editor;
    Context _context;
    private static final String PREF_NAME = "testing";

    // All Shared Preferences Keys Declare as #public
    public static final String KEY_SET_APP_RUN_FIRST_TIME       =        "KEY_SET_APP_RUN_FIRST_TIME";


    public SharedPreference(Context context) // Constructor
    {
        this._context = context;
        pref = _context.getSharedPreferences(PREF_NAME, 0);
        editor = pref.edit();

    }

    /*
    *  Set Method Generally Store Data;
    *  Get Method Generally Retrieve Data ;
    * */


    public void setApp_runFirst(String App_runFirst)
    {
        editor.remove(KEY_SET_APP_RUN_FIRST_TIME);
        editor.putString(KEY_SET_APP_RUN_FIRST_TIME, App_runFirst);
        editor.apply();
    }

    public String getApp_runFirst()
    {
        String  App_runFirst= pref.getString(KEY_SET_APP_RUN_FIRST_TIME, "FIRST");
        return  App_runFirst;
    }

}

Now Open Your Activity & Initialize .

 private     SharedPreference                sharedPreferenceObj; // Declare Global

Now Call this in OnCreate section

 sharedPreferenceObj=new SharedPreference(YourActivity.this);

Now Checking

if(sharedPreferenceObj.getApp_runFirst().equals("FIRST"))
 {
   // That's mean First Time Launch
   // After your Work , SET Status NO
   sharedPreferenceObj.setApp_runFirst("NO");
 }
else
 { 
   // App is not First Time Launch
 }

Answer 3

I like to have an "update count" in my shared preferences. If it's not there (or default zero value) then this is my app's "first use".

private static final int UPDATE_COUNT = 1;    // Increment this on major change
...
if (sp.getInt("updateCount", 0) == 0) {
    // first use
} else if (sp.getInt("updateCount", 0) < UPDATE_COUNT) {
    // Pop up dialog telling user about new features
}
...
sp.edit().putInt("updateCount", UPDATE_COUNT);

So now, whenever there's an update to the app that users should know about, I increment UPDATE_COUNT

Answer 4

I suggest to not only store a boolean flag, but the complete version code. This way you can also query at the beginning if it is the first start in a new version. You can use this information to display a "Whats new" dialog, for example.

The following code should work from any android class that "is a context" (activities, services, ...). If you prefer to have it in a separate (POJO) class, you could consider using a "static context", as described here for example.

/**
 * Distinguishes different kinds of app starts: <li>
 * <ul>
 * First start ever ({@link #FIRST_TIME})
 * </ul>
 * <ul>
 * First start in this version ({@link #FIRST_TIME_VERSION})
 * </ul>
 * <ul>
 * Normal app start ({@link #NORMAL})
 * </ul>
 * 
 * @author schnatterer
 * 
 */
public enum AppStart {
    FIRST_TIME, FIRST_TIME_VERSION, NORMAL;
}

/**
 * The app version code (not the version name!) that was used on the last
 * start of the app.
 */
private static final String LAST_APP_VERSION = "last_app_version";

/**
 * Finds out started for the first time (ever or in the current version).<br/>
 * <br/>
 * Note: This method is <b>not idempotent</b> only the first call will
 * determine the proper result. Any subsequent calls will only return
 * {@link AppStart#NORMAL} until the app is started again. So you might want
 * to consider caching the result!
 * 
 * @return the type of app start
 */
public AppStart checkAppStart() {
    PackageInfo pInfo;
    SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = PreferenceManager
            .getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
    AppStart appStart = AppStart.NORMAL;
    try {
        pInfo = getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(getPackageName(), 0);
        int lastVersionCode = sharedPreferences
                .getInt(LAST_APP_VERSION, -1);
        int currentVersionCode = pInfo.versionCode;
        appStart = checkAppStart(currentVersionCode, lastVersionCode);
        // Update version in preferences
        sharedPreferences.edit()
                .putInt(LAST_APP_VERSION, currentVersionCode).commit();
    } catch (NameNotFoundException e) {
        Log.w(Constants.LOG,
                "Unable to determine current app version from pacakge manager. Defenisvely assuming normal app start.");
    }
    return appStart;
}

public AppStart checkAppStart(int currentVersionCode, int lastVersionCode) {
    if (lastVersionCode == -1) {
        return AppStart.FIRST_TIME;
    } else if (lastVersionCode < currentVersionCode) {
        return AppStart.FIRST_TIME_VERSION;
    } else if (lastVersionCode > currentVersionCode) {
        Log.w(Constants.LOG, "Current version code (" + currentVersionCode
                + ") is less then the one recognized on last startup ("
                + lastVersionCode
                + "). Defenisvely assuming normal app start.");
        return AppStart.NORMAL;
    } else {
        return AppStart.NORMAL;
    }
}

It could be used from an activity like this:

public class MainActivity extends Activity {        
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        switch (checkAppStart()) {
        case NORMAL:
            // We don't want to get on the user's nerves
            break;
        case FIRST_TIME_VERSION:
            // TODO show what's new
            break;
        case FIRST_TIME:
            // TODO show a tutorial
            break;
        default:
            break;
        }

        // ...
    }
    // ...
}

The basic logic can be verified using this JUnit test:

public void testCheckAppStart() {
    // First start
    int oldVersion = -1;
    int newVersion = 1;
    assertEquals("Unexpected result", AppStart.FIRST_TIME,
            service.checkAppStart(newVersion, oldVersion));

    // First start this version
    oldVersion = 1;
    newVersion = 2;
    assertEquals("Unexpected result", AppStart.FIRST_TIME_VERSION,
            service.checkAppStart(newVersion, oldVersion));

    // Normal start
    oldVersion = 2;
    newVersion = 2;
    assertEquals("Unexpected result", AppStart.NORMAL,
            service.checkAppStart(newVersion, oldVersion));
}

With a bit more effort you could probably test the android related stuff (PackageManager and SharedPreferences) as well. Anyone interested in writing the test? :)

Note that the above code will only work properly if you don't mess around with your android:versionCode in AndroidManifest.xml!

Answer 5

I made a simple class to check if your code is running for the first time/ n-times!

Example

Create a unique preferences

FirstTimePreference prefFirstTime = new FirstTimePreference(getApplicationContext());

Use runTheFirstTime, choose a key to check your event

if (prefFirstTime.runTheFirstTime("myKey")) {
    Toast.makeText(this, "Test myKey & coutdown: " + prefFirstTime.getCountDown("myKey"),
                   Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}

Use runTheFirstNTimes, choose a key and how many times execute

if(prefFirstTime.runTheFirstNTimes("anotherKey" , 5)) {
    Toast.makeText(this, "ciccia Test coutdown: "+ prefFirstTime.getCountDown("anotherKey"),
                   Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}

• Use getCountDown() to better handle your code

FirstTimePreference.java

Answer 6

You could simply check for the existence of an empty file, if it doesn't exist, then execute your code and create the file.

e.g.

if(File.Exists("emptyfile"){
    //Your code here
    File.Create("emptyfile");
}