How to start a service using a broadcast receiver even after the app is closed in android?

Question

I am a newbie in Android and have very little knowledge in Services and Broadcast Receivers. I am developing an app in which I want my phone to go into silent mode when I reach a particular location. I want a Broadcast Receiver to start a service when that location is reached. My problem is that the Broadcast Receiver doesn't seem to run when the app is closed. How can i make the Broadcast receiver run and call a service when the app is closed? My codes are as below.

GPSTracker.java

public class GPSTracker extends Service implements LocationListener {

private final Context mContext;

// flag for GPS status
boolean isGPSEnabled = false;

// flag for network status
boolean isNetworkEnabled = false;

// flag for GPS status
boolean canGetLocation = false;

Location location; // location
double latitude; // latitude
double longitude; // longitude

// The minimum distance to change Updates in meters
private static final long MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES = 10; // 10 meters

// The minimum time between updates in milliseconds
private static final long MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES = 1000 * 60 * 1; // 1 minute

// Declaring a Location Manager
protected LocationManager locationManager;

public GPSTracker(Context context) {
    this.mContext = context;
    getLocation();
}

public Location getLocation() {
    try {
        locationManager = (LocationManager) mContext
                .getSystemService(LOCATION_SERVICE);

        // getting GPS status
        isGPSEnabled = locationManager
                .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);

        // getting network status
        isNetworkEnabled = locationManager
                .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);

        if (!isGPSEnabled && !isNetworkEnabled) {
            // no network provider is enabled
        } else {
            this.canGetLocation = true;
            if (isNetworkEnabled) {
                locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
                        LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER,
                        MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES,
                        MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES, this);
                Log.d("Network", "Network");
                if (locationManager != null) {
                    location = locationManager
                            .getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);
                    if (location != null) {
                        latitude = location.getLatitude();
                        longitude = location.getLongitude();
                    }
                }
            }
            // if GPS Enabled get lat/long using GPS Services
            if (isGPSEnabled) {
                if (location == null) {
                    locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
                            LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,
                            MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES,
                            MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES, this);
                    Log.d("GPS Enabled", "GPS Enabled");
                    if (locationManager != null) {
                        location = locationManager
                                .getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
                        if (location != null) {
                            latitude = location.getLatitude();
                            longitude = location.getLongitude();
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }

    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    return location;
}

/**
 * Stop using GPS listener
 * Calling this function will stop using GPS in your app
 * */
public void stopUsingGPS(){
    if(locationManager != null){
        locationManager.removeUpdates(GPSTracker.this);
    }       
}

/**
 * Function to get latitude
 * */
public double getLatitude(){
    if(location != null){
        latitude = location.getLatitude();
    }

    // return latitude
    return latitude;
}

/**
 * Function to get longitude
 * */
public double getLongitude(){
    if(location != null){
        longitude = location.getLongitude();
    }

    // return longitude
    return longitude;
}

/**
 * Function to check GPS/wifi enabled
 * @return boolean
 * */
public boolean canGetLocation() {
    return this.canGetLocation;
}

/**
 * Function to show settings alert dialog
 * On pressing Settings button will lauch Settings Options
 * */
public void showSettingsAlert(){
    AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(mContext);

    // Setting Dialog Title
    alertDialog.setTitle("GPS is settings");

    // Setting Dialog Message
    alertDialog.setMessage("GPS is not enabled. Do you want to go to settings menu?");

    // On pressing Settings button
    alertDialog.setPositiveButton("Settings", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,int which) {
            Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);
            mContext.startActivity(intent);
        }
    });

    // on pressing cancel button
    alertDialog.setNegativeButton("Cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
        dialog.cancel();
        }
    });

    // Showing Alert Message
    alertDialog.show();
}

@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
    latitude = location.getLatitude();
    longitude = location.getLongitude();

}

@Override
public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
}

@Override
public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
}

@Override
public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
}

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent arg0) {
    return null;
}

}

BootUpReceiver.java

public class BootUpReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{
GPSTracker g;
@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    Intent i = new Intent(context,GPSTracker.class);
    context.startService(i);

} }

Manifest file

   <receiver android:permission="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" android:name="BootUpReceiver">
   <intent-filter>

                        <action android:name="android.location.LocationManager.KEY_LOCATION_CHANGED" />
              <action android:name="android.location.PROVIDERS_CHANGED" />
              <action android:name="android.intent.action.TIME_TICK"/>
        </intent-filter>
    </receiver>

Manifest

      <receiver android:name=".BootUpReceiver"
    android:enabled="true" android:permission="android.permission.SET_TIME">
    <intent-filter>

         <action android:name="android.intent.action.TIME_TICK"/>
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>

Answer 1

I wanted to put this in a comment, but it was nearly illegible. Your code is rather chopped together, but we all have to start somewhere. You need to change your manifest, it is incorrectly formatted. It should look something like this:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.example.appname"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >

<uses-sdk
    android:minSdkVersion="8"
    android:targetSdkVersion="18" />

<!-- PERMISSIONS -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >

    <!-- RECEIVERS -->
    <receiver android:name=".BootUpReceiver"
        android:enabled="true" >
        <intent-filter>
             <action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
             <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
             <action android:name="com.htc.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWERON" />
        </intent-filter>
    </receiver>

    <!-- SERVICES -->
    <service
        android:enabled="true"
        android:name=".GPSTracker" />

    <!-- ACTIVITIES -->
    <activity
        android:name="com.example.appname.LaunchActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>

Notice the permissions and how I added them, as well as the Service and Receiver. You then need to make sure your broadcast receiver is setup correctly.

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class BootUpReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context c, Intent i) {
        Intent gpsIntent = new Intent(c, GPSTracker.class); 


        // Add putExtras() or look at parceables to see if there is anything we need to do here

       Toast.makeText(c, "Our broadcast receiver was hit!", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

        // Start the activity (by utilizing the passed context)
        gpsIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
        c.getApplicationContext().startService(gpsIntent); 

    }

}

Then your GPSTracker class seems to be implemented correctly.