CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaandroid
odoojs
odoojs

Reputation: 21

Android app can't run in background more than 5 or 15 minutes

I know that it is a real problem with running apps in background for different OEMs, but how can I solve this problem?

My app has a webview integrated from an online radio, everything is ok, but after 5 minutes (in locked screen mode), the player stop playing... I can configure my mobile settings, going to Apps, Special access, Optimize battery usage, search for my app and disable that button, but I win only 10 minutes (15 in total), and the app will stop again...

I found something about services, but I'm a really beginner, I don't understand why should I use a service to run in foreground... I have also a notification icon (+title+message) which is showing on display even if the mobile screen is locked. For my understandings, that means the app is running in foreground and in background. Can't figure out how to solve this.

I'm a beginner, but I want to go with this app in production (Google Play), and I want to be useful, not to be just another app...

I hope somebody will have the patience to respond on my issue. Thank you!

(At least some advice, what should I do...)

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1820

Answers (2)

ptt
ptt

Reputation: 111

You app can run in background (hidden view) but due to Background Service Limitations, an app is considered to be in the foreground if it has a foreground service running.

You need to start a Foreground service and call startForeground() to start it.

Also, if you are using a Webview, such as Ionic Javascript, I see the Webview can stop after 5 min regardless even there was a Foreground service running. I was using Ionic Webview Javascript with Foreground service but it still stop after 5 min, so I decided to use Native Android and it works fine.

Upvotes: 1

David Kariuki
David Kariuki

Reputation: 1756

You need services to run in the background when your application is not visible to the user. Android automatically kills some apps especially when they are resource intensive. This can also be done by some antivirus software, task cleaners, memory cleaning apps etc.

You need to build your application around these challenges because users will not be required to optimize their settings for your application to run.

This services can be triggered by some android activity lifecycles. When you lock your screen, some life cycle methods like the onPause() and the onStop() could be called in your applications by default. You need to handle these events.

Services

A Service is an application component that can perform long-running operations in the background. It does not provide a user interface. Once started, a service might continue running for some time, even after the user switches to another application. You need to create a service that will perform the tasks you want and periodically update the call back in your application.

E.g. The app may fetch notifications from a remote backend and periodically show them to the user at the notifications panel.

Android activity life cycles

As a user navigates through, out of, and back to your app, the Activity instances in your app transition through different states in their lifecycle. The Activity class provides a number of callbacks that allow the activity to know that a state has changed: that the system is creating, stopping, or resuming an activity, or destroying the process in which the activity resides.

Within the lifecycle callback methods, you can declare how your activity behaves when the user leaves and re-enters the activity.

References

  1. Android Services -> Learn about android services
  2. Activity Life Cycles -> Learn about activity life cycles

Upvotes: 3

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