Android Question Starter service and Android 14

[_marek]

Hello guys,
In my app I use Starter service to communicate with external devices like Bluetooth, USB, TCP.
I got reports that on some devices running Android 14 app stops communication when in background after minute or so.

I am confused of how to handle Starter service in Android 14 and I am unable to find definitive answer. I am aware that Android 14 requires foreground services to define services types.

Based on this old post, Starter should not be made foreground. Until now I sticked to that. However, based on some newer posts (ex1, ex2), it seems that developers are making it foreground and defining a type for it.

My question is, should Starter be made foreground when targeting Android 14, further implying that a type shall be specified for it?

My project:

• is Non-B4XPages project
• I use B4A v13.0 [beta]
• I stop automatic foreground state in Starter:
  

Sub Service_Start (StartingIntent As Intent)
    Service.StopAutomaticForeground
End Sub

• Manifest

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="16" android:compileSdkVersion="33" android:targetSdkVersion="34"/>

I am unable to post any logs since I am not able to replicate the problem on my Android 14 devices.

 

[DonManfred]

Update B4A

B4A v13.0 BETA is available for download

I'm happy to release a new BETA version of B4A. The Android SDK and the underlying toolchain where updated with preparation for Android 14 (targetSdkVersion=34) requirements. Many of the internal libraries and also external libraries were updated and now depend on the latest Android SDK...

www.b4x.com

You already use it i saw...

and check this too

Android 14 / targetSdkVersion 34 and Services

B4A v13.0+ should be used with targetSdkVersion 34+. Android 14 continues the longtime trend of making services less flexible and more difficult to use (converging to iOS background tasks features from 2014). Many of the previous use cases for services are better covered by receivers...

www.b4x.com

 

[_marek]

and check this too

Android 14 / targetSdkVersion 34 and Services

B4A v13.0+ should be used with targetSdkVersion 34+. Android 14 continues the longtime trend of making services less flexible and more difficult to use (converging to iOS background tasks features from 2014). Many of the previous use cases for services are better covered by receivers...

www.b4x.com

That's where I started (my post already links to that). Still no clear answer...

 

[teddybear]

That's where I started (my post already links to that). Still no clear answer...

Perhaps you should switch to B4XPages, in the post

Android 14 / targetSdkVersion 34 and Services

B4A v13.0+ should be used with targetSdkVersion 34+. Android 14 continues the longtime trend of making services less flexible and more difficult to use (converging to iOS background tasks features from 2014). Many of the previous use cases for services are better covered by receivers...

www.b4x.com

Erel said that

Another common use case for services was to overcome the activities complex lifecycle. This is not relevant if using B4XPages, where a single activity is used and it is not paused. For non-B4XPages projects, you can continue to use the starter service for such cases. Don't use regular services as they will be killed when the app is in the background.