Java - Android - Pedometer Doesn't count steps when the app is running in the background

Question

My problem is that my pedometer only counts the steps when I have the app open.

As soon as I leave the app, it stops counting.

The goal of the Android app is that the steps are counted as long as the app is in the foreground or in the background.

What do I have to do to make it work when the app is in the background?

package com.example.mysmartnutrition;

import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat;

import android.Manifest;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
import android.hardware.Sensor;
import android.hardware.SensorEvent;
import android.hardware.SensorEventListener;
import android.hardware.SensorManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.WindowManager;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import com.google.android.material.floatingactionbutton.FloatingActionButton;

import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;

import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SensorEventListener {

    // Objects from the activity_main.xml file
    private FloatingActionButton addButton;
    private Button addBreakfast;
    private Button addLunch;
    private Button addDinner;
    private TextView tvStepCounter;

    private SensorManager sensorManager;
    private Sensor stepCounterSensor;
    private boolean isStepCounterPresent;
    private int stepCount = 0;
    private int stepsOfToday = 0;
    public int dayStep = 0;
    /* private List<Integer> savedStepsList = new List<Integer>() {
        @Override
        public int size() {
            return 0;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean isEmpty() {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean contains(@Nullable Object o) {
            return false;
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public Iterator<Integer> iterator() {
            return null;
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public Object[] toArray() {
            return new Object[0];
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public <T> T[] toArray(@NonNull T[] a) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean add(Integer integer) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean remove(@Nullable Object o) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean containsAll(@NonNull Collection<?> c) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean addAll(@NonNull Collection<? extends Integer> c) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean addAll(int index, @NonNull Collection<? extends Integer> c) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean removeAll(@NonNull Collection<?> c) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean retainAll(@NonNull Collection<?> c) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public void clear() {

        }

        @Override
        public Integer get(int index) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public Integer set(int index, Integer element) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public void add(int index, Integer element) {

        }

        @Override
        public Integer remove(int index) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public int indexOf(@Nullable Object o) {
            return 0;
        }

        @Override
        public int lastIndexOf(@Nullable Object o) {
            return 0;
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public ListIterator<Integer> listIterator() {
            return null;
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public ListIterator<Integer> listIterator(int index) {
            return null;
        }

        @NonNull
        @Override
        public List<Integer> subList(int fromIndex, int toIndex) {
            return null;
        }
    }; */

    public String savedDate;
    public String notSavedDate;

    public SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = new SharedPreferences() {
        @Override
        public Map<String, ?> getAll() {
            return null;
        }

        @Nullable
        @Override
        public String getString(String key, @Nullable String defValue) {
            return null;
        }

        @Nullable
        @Override
        public Set<String> getStringSet(String key, @Nullable Set<String> defValues) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public int getInt(String key, int defValue) {
            return 0;
        }

        @Override
        public long getLong(String key, long defValue) {
            return 0;
        }

        @Override
        public float getFloat(String key, float defValue) {
            return 0;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean getBoolean(String key, boolean defValue) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean contains(String key) {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public Editor edit() {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public void registerOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener(OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener listener) {

        }

        @Override
        public void unregisterOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener(OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener listener) {

        }
    };
    public SharedPreferences.Editor editor = new SharedPreferences.Editor() {
        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putString(String key, @Nullable String value) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putStringSet(String key, @Nullable Set<String> values) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putInt(String key, int value) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putLong(String key, long value) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putFloat(String key, float value) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor putBoolean(String key, boolean value) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor remove(String key) {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public SharedPreferences.Editor clear() {
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean commit() {
            return false;
        }

        @Override
        public void apply() {

        }
    };

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        if(ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this,
                Manifest.permission.ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_DENIED){ //ask for permission
            requestPermissions(new String[]{Manifest.permission.ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION}, 0);
        }

        getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON);

        sensorManager = (SensorManager) getSystemService(Context.SENSOR_SERVICE);

        addButton = findViewById(R.id.fab);
        addBreakfast = findViewById(R.id.add_product_breakfast);
        addLunch = findViewById(R.id.add_product_lunch);
        addDinner = findViewById(R.id.add_product_dinner);
        tvStepCounter = findViewById(R.id.stepCounter);

        addButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, AddProduct.class);
                startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        addBreakfast.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, AddProduct.class);
                startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        addLunch.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, AddProduct.class);
                startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        addDinner.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, AddProduct.class);
                startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        if(sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_STEP_COUNTER) != null) {
            stepCounterSensor = sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_STEP_COUNTER);
            isStepCounterPresent = true;
        } else {
            tvStepCounter.setText("Step counter sensor is not present");
            isStepCounterPresent = false;
        }

        savedDate = String.valueOf(java.time.LocalDate.now());

        SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
        database.execSQL("create table if not exists steps(date text, stepCounter integer, kcalBurned integer)");
        dayStep = 0;
        getData();
        //Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), " " + savedDate + " ", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }



    public void pushStepsToDB(int dayStep){
        SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
        database.execSQL("create table if not exists steps(date text, stepCounter integer, kcalBurned integer)");
        String CONTACTS_TABLE_NAME = "steps";
        database.execSQL("UPDATE "+CONTACTS_TABLE_NAME+" SET stepCounter = "+"'"+ dayStep +"' "+ "WHERE date = "+"'"+savedDate+"'");
        database.close();
        //Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), " " + "succesful" + " ", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    public void getData(){
        savedDate = String.valueOf(java.time.LocalDate.now());
        if(checkIsEntryAlreadyInDB() == true){
            SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
            Cursor cursor = database.rawQuery("select * from steps where date = '" + savedDate + "'", null);
            cursor.moveToFirst();
            String date = cursor.getString(0);
            dayStep = Integer.valueOf(cursor.getString(1));
            String kcal = cursor.getString(2);
            cursor.close();
            database.close();
        }
        else{
            SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
            database.execSQL("create table if not exists steps(date text, stepCounter integer, kcalBurned integer)");
            database.execSQL("insert into steps values('" + savedDate + "', '0', '0')");
            database.close();
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), " " + "Entry not found but generated" + " ", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

        }


        //Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), " " + dayStep + " step" + " ", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

    }

    public boolean checkIsEntryAlreadyInDB(){
        SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
        Cursor cursor = database.rawQuery("select * from steps where date = '" + savedDate + "'", null);
        if(cursor.getCount() <= 0){
            cursor.close();
            return false;
        }
        cursor.close();
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
        if(event.sensor == stepCounterSensor) {
            stepCount = (int) event.values[0];
            savedDate = String.valueOf(java.time.LocalDate.now());
            SQLiteDatabase database = openOrCreateDatabase("mysmartnutrition.db", MODE_PRIVATE, null);
            database.execSQL("create table if not exists steps(date text, stepCounter integer, kcalBurned integer)");
            dayStep = 0;
            getData();
            dayStep ++;
            pushStepsToDB(dayStep);
            tvStepCounter.setText(String.valueOf(dayStep));
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor sensor, int accuracy) {

    }

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        if(sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_STEP_COUNTER) != null) {
            sensorManager.registerListener(this, stepCounterSensor, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_UI);
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPause() {
        super.onPause();
        if(sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_STEP_COUNTER) != null) {
            sensorManager.unregisterListener(this, stepCounterSensor);
        }
    }


}

Answer 1

The reason it stops is quite easy, you stop listening in the onPause method. If you want to have the steps count in the background, you would need to implement a service. But seeing the rest of the code, maybe work on something simpler first. With Android optimizing battery usage, you will have a lot to take care of to have your service run in the background.

Not sure what you are trying to do, but you are defining your own SharedPreferences implementation. Normally you would call something like:

final SharedPreferences prefs = context.getSharedPreferences("filename", MODE_PRIVATE);