Get GPS location via a service in Android
I need to monitor user's locations using a background service, and then load them and show the path to the user.
Using an activity, it was quite easy to get GPS locations, but when I got to do it via a service, I came into a problem as it seems to only work for looper threads (or something like that).
As I've searched the internet for a solution, I've found out that many people got the same problem, but I couldn't find a working solution. Some people say that you need to use prepare->loop->quit , and some say you have to use a handlerThread, but still, I can't find out how to do such things in a proper way.
I don't understand what exactly is the problem with implementing location listening functionality in the Service. It looks pretty similar to what you do in Activity. Just define a location listener and register for location updates. You can refer to the following code as example:
Manifest file:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<application
android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name" >
<activity android:label="@string/app_name" android:name=".LocationCheckerActivity" >
<intent-filter >
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
<service android:name=".MyService" android:process=":my_service" />
</application>
The service file:
import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.location.Location;
import android.location.LocationManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.util.Log;
public class MyService extends Service {
private static final String TAG = "BOOMBOOMTESTGPS";
private LocationManager mLocationManager = null;
private static final int LOCATION_INTERVAL = 1000;
private static final float LOCATION_DISTANCE = 10f;
private class LocationListener implements android.location.LocationListener {
Location mLastLocation;
public LocationListener(String provider) {
Log.e(TAG, "LocationListener " + provider);
mLastLocation = new Location(provider);
}
@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
Log.e(TAG, "onLocationChanged: " + location);
mLastLocation.set(location);
}
@Override
public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
Log.e(TAG, "onProviderDisabled: " + provider);
}
@Override
public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
Log.e(TAG, "onProviderEnabled: " + provider);
}
@Override
public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
Log.e(TAG, "onStatusChanged: " + provider);
}
}
LocationListener[] mLocationListeners = new LocationListener[]{
new LocationListener(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER),
new LocationListener(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER)
};
@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent arg0) {
return null;
}
@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
Log.e(TAG, "onStartCommand");
super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
return START_STICKY;
}
@Override
public void onCreate() {
Log.e(TAG, "onCreate");
initializeLocationManager();
try {
mLocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, LOCATION_INTERVAL, LOCATION_DISTANCE,
mLocationListeners[1]);
} catch (java.lang.SecurityException ex) {
Log.i(TAG, "fail to request location update, ignore", ex);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
Log.d(TAG, "network provider does not exist, " + ex.getMessage());
}
try {
mLocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, LOCATION_INTERVAL, LOCATION_DISTANCE,
mLocationListeners[0]);
} catch (java.lang.SecurityException ex) {
Log.i(TAG, "fail to request location update, ignore", ex);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
Log.d(TAG, "gps provider does not exist " + ex.getMessage());
}
}
@Override
public void onDestroy() {
Log.e(TAG, "onDestroy");
super.onDestroy();
if (mLocationManager != null) {
for (int i = 0; i < mLocationListeners.length; i++) {
try {
mLocationManager.removeUpdates(mLocationListeners[i]);
} catch (Exception ex) {
Log.i(TAG, "fail to remove location listners, ignore", ex);
}
}
}
}
private void initializeLocationManager() {
Log.e(TAG, "initializeLocationManager");
if (mLocationManager == null) {
mLocationManager = (LocationManager) getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
}
}
}
public class GPSService extends Service implements GoogleApiClient.ConnectionCallbacks, GoogleApiClient.OnConnectionFailedListener, com.google.android.gms.location.LocationListener {
private LocationRequest mLocationRequest;
private GoogleApiClient mGoogleApiClient;
private static final String LOGSERVICE = "#######";
@Override
public void onCreate() {
super.onCreate();
buildGoogleApiClient();
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onCreate");
}
@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onStartCommand");
if (!mGoogleApiClient.isConnected())
mGoogleApiClient.connect();
return START_STICKY;
}
@Override
public void onConnected(Bundle bundle) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onConnected" + bundle);
Location l = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation(mGoogleApiClient);
if (l != null) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "lat " + l.getLatitude());
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "lng " + l.getLongitude());
}
startLocationUpdate();
}
@Override
public void onConnectionSuspended(int i) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onConnectionSuspended " + i);
}
@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "lat " + location.getLatitude());
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "lng " + location.getLongitude());
LatLng mLocation = (new LatLng(location.getLatitude(), location.getLongitude()));
EventBus.getDefault().post(mLocation);
}
@Override
public void onDestroy() {
super.onDestroy();
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onDestroy - Estou sendo destruido ");
}
@Nullable
@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return null;
}
@Override
public void onConnectionFailed(ConnectionResult connectionResult) {
Log.i(LOGSERVICE, "onConnectionFailed ");
}
private void initLocationRequest() {
mLocationRequest = new LocationRequest();
mLocationRequest.setInterval(5000);
mLocationRequest.setFastestInterval(2000);
mLocationRequest.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);
}
private void startLocationUpdate() {
initLocationRequest();
if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
// TODO: Consider calling
// ActivityCompat#requestPermissions
// here to request the missing permissions, and then overriding
// public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, String[] permissions,
// int[] grantResults)
// to handle the case where the user grants the permission. See the documentation
// for ActivityCompat#requestPermissions for more details.
return;
}
LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, this);
}
private void stopLocationUpdate() {
LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.removeLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, this);
}
protected synchronized void buildGoogleApiClient() {
mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(this)
.addOnConnectionFailedListener(this)
.addConnectionCallbacks(this)
.addApi(LocationServices.API)
.build();
}
}
All these answers doesn't work from M - to - Android"O" - 8, Due to Dozer mode that restrict the service - whatever service or any background operation that requires discrete things in background would be no longer able to run.
So the approach would be listening to the system FusedLocationApiClient through BroadCastReciever that always listening the location and work even in Doze mode.
Posting the link would be pointless, please search FusedLocation with Broadcast receiver.
Thanks
Just complementing, I implemented this way and usually worked in my Service class
In my Service
@Override
public void onCreate()
{
mHandler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper());
mHandler.post(this);
super.onCreate();
}
@Override
public void onDestroy()
{
mHandler.removeCallbacks(this);
super.onDestroy();
}
@Override
public void run()
{
InciarGPSTracker();
}