A Service w/o any UI

[sktanmoy]

I want to create an app which will have only a service, with totally no UI. No app icon will be shown in app list, just a service will be running in background. Is it possible?

 

[yttrium]

I want to create an app which will have only a service, with totally no UI. No app icon will be shown in app list, just a service will be running in background. Is it possible?

Please see the following tutorial:
Basic4Android | Service Modules

 

[sktanmoy]

Please see the following tutorial:
Basic4Android | Service Modules

I know how to write service, and can start that from any activity. I asked if I can create an app without any UI (no app icon in app list).

 

[Erel]

I asked if I can create an app without any UI

Yes. Add this line to the manifest editor:

AddReplacement(android.intent.action.MAIN, unused_action)

The app will still appear in the settings apps list.

 

[sktanmoy]

Awesome

Yes. Add this line to the manifest editor:

AddReplacement(android.intent.action.MAIN, unused_action)

The app will still appear in the settings apps list.

You are just awesome.

 

[Erel]

A short explanation about this line. The compiler automatically adds the following intent filter to the main activity:

<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>

This intent filter tells the OS that this activity is a "starting point". With the AddReplacement call we change the action name to a custom one and therefore prevent the app from appearing in the apps list.

 

[johnnyv]

I tried this with an app I wrote. It contains an activity and a service module. The service module is set to start on boot. However, when I install my app, the phone shows the Open button disabled. Only the Done button is enabled. When I reboot my phone, my service does not start on boot. I am confused.

 

[Erel]

Which Open button?

 

[LucaMs]

A short explanation about this line. The compiler automatically adds the following intent filter to the main activity:


This intent filter tells the OS that this activity is a "starting point". With the AddReplacement call we change the action name to a custom one and therefore prevent the app from appearing in the apps list.

It confuses the S.O.? Then it will be complicated to uninstall the app, or am I wrong?
Uhm is a way to spy on unfaithful wives?

 

[johnnyv]

I am testing on a Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android 4.3. Whenever I install an app, I get a screen saying that the app was installed. It has two buttons, Open (to run the app), or Done (to exit without opening the app). See the attached screen shot.

When I include

AddReplacement(android.intent.action.MAIN, unused_action)

in the manifest editor, the Open button is disabled, and my service never runs on boot as it is supposed to. However, if I remove that line, and build as a regular app with an icon, the Open button is enabled and I can run my app and the service starts on boot as expected. It seems that if I don't run the activity, then the service never starts on boot.

 

[Erel]

The Open is disabled because Android doesn't allow the user to start an app with no activities.

The Start At Boot doesn't run for a similar reason. There is a security feature in Android that prevents app from starting after boot if the app was never started before.

 

[johnnyv]

Thanks Erel. I was wondering if that was what was going on.

 

[haddad]

hi

i have a same problemme how can i fix that ?
my service doasn't run because the Main activity is hiden too

how can i run service
tks

 

[haddad]

ok i was fixed problemme im rebooting device and service run

 

[Blue.Sky]

You can use widget.I add widget to home screen and with once run,your app running