Android Question How to remove foreground service icon for app with targetSdkVersion="14" ?

[FrankBerra]

Hi everyone
today i compiled an app that i was not compiling it since 2 months ago.
The app has a service that runs about every 5 minutes and the service completes it's tasks in about 30 seconds.
The app is not ready to comply the new android 8 background service limitations but i need to update it to fix some bugs.
The problem is that now when compiled with B4A v.8.0 a persistent notification appears in the notification area even if i put Service.StopAutomaticForeground at the end of the service_start sub and even if i target the app to SdkVersion 14.

Meantime i adapt the app to the new google play rules, how can i continue to run the service in background without showing any icon?
Somewhere i read that Service.StopAutomaticForeground must be called within 5 seconds after the service is called...but my service takes up to 30 seconds to complete it's task. How can deal with this?

Thank you in advance for your support!

 

[Erel]

See the tutorial: Automatic Foreground Mode

Calling Service.StopAutomaticForeground will remove the icon. I can only guess that you are starting the service in foreground mode yourself.

You can also disable automatic foreground mode completely.

 

[FrankBerra]

Well, in starter service i start my service with StartService(MyService) and in the code of MyService i restart it with:

If p.SdkVersion < 23 Then
        StartServiceAtExact("", RestartTime, True)
      Else 'https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/now-android-6-servicestartatexact-not-accurate.65117/#post-414796
        Dim srvAt As JavaObject
        'call the function
        srvAt.InitializeContext
        srvAt.RunMethod("StartServiceAtExactWhileIdle", Array(RestartTime, True))
 End If


#If JAVA
//import android.app.Service;
import android.app.AlarmManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.PowerManager;

import android.provider.Settings;
import android.provider.Settings.Secure;

public void StartServiceAtExactWhileIdle(Long time, Boolean wakeUp){ 
   AlarmManager alMan = (AlarmManager)getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
   Intent intent = new Intent(this.getApplicationContext(), this.getClass());
   PendingIntent penInt = PendingIntent.getService(this.getApplicationContext(), 1, intent, 134217728);
   alMan.setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(wakeUp?AlarmManager.RTC_WAKEUP:AlarmManager.RTC, time, penInt);
}

#End If

So, based on your suggestion should i set Service.AUTOMATIC_FOREGROUND_NEVER in service_create and then add something like:

Sub Service_Start (StartingIntent As Intent)
Service.StartForeground(123, Notification)

<...code of the service...>

Service.StopForeground(123)
End sub

is it right?

 

[Erel]

The first step is to remove that code.
It is not needed and will only cause problems.

Use the build-in StartServiceAtExact instead.