Android Services: START_STICKY does not work on Kitkat

Question

I am using services in an application to listen for how many times the user presses his/her power button. The implementation was working fine on all devices. But when I tested t

Answer 1

Seems that this is a bug present in Android 4.4, got around it with the following:

@Override
public void onTaskRemoved(Intent rootIntent) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    Intent restartService = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),
            this.getClass());
    restartService.setPackage(getPackageName());
    PendingIntent restartServicePI = PendingIntent.getService(
            getApplicationContext(), 1, restartService,
            PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);
    AlarmManager alarmService = (AlarmManager)getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
    alarmService.set(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME, SystemClock.elapsedRealtime() +1000, restartServicePI);

}

So this is a method that is overridden in the Service class itself. The reason that I am using the AlarmManager is so that Kitkat does not kill my service.

Answer 2

I have this solution that works perfectly.

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
     startService(new Intent(yourcontext, YourService.class));
}

Answer 3

If you are not able to restart the service then call a alam manger to start the reciver like this,

Manifest is,

         <service
            android:name=".BackgroundService"
            android:description="@string/app_name"
            android:enabled="true"
            android:label="Notification" />
        <receiver android:name="AlarmReceiver">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="REFRESH_THIS" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

IN Main Activty start alarm manger in this way,

String alarm = Context.ALARM_SERVICE;
        AlarmManager am = (AlarmManager) getSystemService(alarm);

        Intent intent = new Intent("REFRESH_THIS");
        PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, 123456789, intent, 0);

        int type = AlarmManager.RTC_WAKEUP;
        long interval = 1000 * 50;

        am.setInexactRepeating(type, System.currentTimeMillis(), interval, pi);

this will call reciver and reciver is,

public class AlarmReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
    Context context;

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        this.context = context;

        System.out.println("Alarma Reciver Called");

        if (isMyServiceRunning(this.context, BackgroundService.class)) {
            System.out.println("alredy running no need to start again");
        } else {
            Intent background = new Intent(context, BackgroundService.class);
            context.startService(background);
        }
    }

    public static boolean isMyServiceRunning(Context context, Class<?> serviceClass) {
        ActivityManager activityManager = (ActivityManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
        List<ActivityManager.RunningServiceInfo> services = activityManager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE);

        if (services != null) {
            for (int i = 0; i < services.size(); i++) {
                if ((serviceClass.getName()).equals(services.get(i).service.getClassName()) && services.get(i).pid != 0) {
                    return true;
                }
            }
        }
        return false;
    }
}

And this Alaram reciver calls once when android app is opened and when app is closed.SO the service is like this,

public class BackgroundService extends Service {
    private String LOG_TAG = null;

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        LOG_TAG = "app_name";
        Log.i(LOG_TAG, "service created");
    }

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        Log.i(LOG_TAG, "In onStartCommand");
        //ur actual code
        return START_STICKY;
    }

    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        // Wont be called as service is not bound
        Log.i(LOG_TAG, "In onBind");
        return null;
    }

    @TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.ICE_CREAM_SANDWICH)
    @Override
    public void onTaskRemoved(Intent rootIntent) {
        super.onTaskRemoved(rootIntent);
        Log.i(LOG_TAG, "In onTaskRemoved");
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        Log.i(LOG_TAG, "In onDestroyed");
    }
}

Answer 4

try my solution: this

this trick will restart your service everytime user close service from both task manager and force close from settings, i hope this will help you too

Answer 5

This is still an open bug for KK,

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=63793