SensorEventListener doesn't get unregistered with unregisterListener() method

Question

I have very simple Android app: in activity I have a button and I start/stop the OrientationListener. However, after unregistering it, in ddms I can still see the thread

Answer 1

I faced similar issue.

Workaround to stop the sensor.

I used a static boolean mIsSensorUpdateEnabled. Set it to 'false' when you want to stop getting values from sensors. And in onSensorChanged() method, check the value of the boolean variable and again make to call to unregister the sensors. And this time, it works. The sensors would be unregistered and you will no longer get onSensorChanged callback.

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements SensorEventListener {
    private static boolean mIsSensorUpdateEnabled = false;
    private SensorManager mSensorManager;
    private Sensor mAccelerometer;

    @override
    protected void onCreate(){
        mSensorManager = (SensorManager) getSystemService(Context.SENSOR_SERVICE);
    }

    private startSensors(){
        mAccelerometer =  mSensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER);
        int delay = 100000; //in microseconds equivalent to 0.1 sec
        mSensorManager.registerListener(this,
                mAccelerometer,
                delay
        );
        mIsSensorUpdateEnabled =true;
    }

    private stopSensors(){
        mSensorManager.unregisterListener(this, mAccelerometer);
        mIsSensorUpdateEnabled =false;
    }


    @Override
    public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
        if (!mIsSensorUpdateEnabled) {
            stopSensors();
            Log.e("SensorMM", "SensorUpdate disabled. returning");
            return;
        }
        //Do other work with sensor data
    }
}