Is it possible to run service in android platform continuously even after locking the device?

Question

We have been working on developing service for android platform.

In our service we need to send GPS data (Lat and Long) of device to some external REST service afte

Answer 1

I had the same problem in my app but i solved my issue first create service, use Periodic service. you are able to specify time limit for updating the data. In my case this was the code.

UpdateService.java

public class UpdateServices extends Service implements LocationListener {

    String id, latee, longee;
    // j
    private ProgressDialog pDialog;
    ProgressDialog progressDialog;
    JSONParser jsonParser = new JSONParser();
    DBManager db;
    private static String url_create_locationupdate = "http://192.168.0.175/simple_demo3/classes/create_locationupdate.php";
    private static final String TAG_SUCCESS = "success";
    public static String LOG = "Log";
    private final Context mContext;
    boolean isGPSEnabled = false;
    boolean isNetworkEnabled = false;
    boolean canGetLocation = false;
    Location location; // location
    double latitude; // latitude
    double longitude; // longitude
    private static final long MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES = 3; // 0 meters
    private long MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES; // 10 second
    private long MIN_LENGTH_BW_UPDATES;
    SharedPreferences mPref;
    protected LocationManager locationManager;

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

    public UpdateServices() {
        super();
        mContext = UpdateServices.this;
    }

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

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        Toast.makeText(this, "service starting", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        Log.i(LOG, "Service started");

        mPref = getSharedPreferences("mFile", 0);
        MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES = mPref.getLong("mint", 1) * 1000 * 60;
        MIN_LENGTH_BW_UPDATES = mPref.getLong("kmeter", 1) * 1000;
        Log.i("asd", "This is sparta");
        latitude = getLocation().getLatitude();
        longitude = getLocation().getLongitude();

        return START_STICKY;
    }

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        Log.i(LOG, "Service created");
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        Log.i(LOG, "Service destroyed");

    }

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

            isGPSEnabled = locationManager
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
            isNetworkEnabled = locationManager
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);

            if (!isGPSEnabled && !isNetworkEnabled) {
            } else {
                this.canGetLocation = true;
                if (isNetworkEnabled) {
                    locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
                            LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, 5000,
                            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;
    }

    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
        // this will be called every second
        String laty = Double.toString(getLocation().getLatitude());
        String lagy = Double.toString(getLocation().getLongitude());
        db = new DBManager(mContext);
        db.open();
        db.mInsertGPSCor(laty, lagy);
        Toast.makeText(
                getApplicationContext(),
                "Your Location is - \nLat: " + location.getLatitude()
                        + "\nLong: " + location.getLongitude(),
                Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

        Toast.makeText(UpdateServices.this, "record entered",
                Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        db.close();
// store in server
        new CreateNewProduct(this).execute();

    }

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

    }

    @Override
    public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {

    }

    @Override
    public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {

    }

    class CreateNewProduct extends AsyncTask {
        private Context mContext;

        public CreateNewProduct(Context context) {
            super();
            mContext = context;
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPreExecute() {
            try {
                super.onPreExecute();
                progressDialog = ProgressDialog.show(mContext,
                        "Press Back to Cancel", "Sending Data to Server..",
                        true, false);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                // TODO: handle exception
            }

        }

        /**
         * Creating product
         * */
        protected String doInBackground(String... args) {
            List params = new ArrayList();
            params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("ID", id));
            params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("LATITUDE", latee));
            params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("LONGITUDE", longee));

            JSONObject json = jsonParser.makeHttpRequest(
                    url_create_locationupdate, "POST", params);

            try {
                int success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);

                if (success == 1) {

                    return "done";
                } else {
                    // failed to create product
                    return "fail";
                }
            } catch (JSONException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                return "exec";
            }

        }

        /**
         * After completing background task Dismiss the progress dialog
         * **/
        protected void onPostExecute(String file_url) {
            if (progressDialog.isShowing())
                progressDialog.dismiss();

            if (file_url.equalsIgnoreCase("done")) {

                show.message(mContext, "uploading successed");
            }
            if (file_url.equalsIgnoreCase("fail")
                    || file_url.equalsIgnoreCase("exec")) {
                try {
                    show.message(mContext, "uploading failed");
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public void onConnectionSuspended(int arg0) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

}

and Main.java

public class Main extends Activity {

    Button btn_startGps, btn_stopGps;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.auto_gps_update);
        btn_startGps = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button_service);
        btn_stopGps = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button_stopservice);


        btn_startGps.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {           
                startService(new Intent(About.this, UpdateServices.class));
                Toast.makeText(About.this, "Service Started",
                        Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
        });

        btn_stopGps.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                stopService(new Intent(About.this, UpdateServices.class));
            Log.e("sss", "ffffffffd");
                Toast.makeText(About.this, "Service Stopped",
                        Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

            }
        });
}

but here an issue service is not stop here to stop service

Because i have return

 return START_STICKY;

in onStartCommand(...)

read more at START_STICKY and START_NOT_STICKY

and Official docs