GPS Background service | Background service to send GPS location on server

Most of the time it is required to get gps data even when application is not running. To make an application receive the gps reading in background, We use Service. Service runs in background even when your application is not on the front and you are using some other application.

Expected Result :
Service will run at background forever and it will update location at specific time interval to the server

here is the implementation of code :

Steps 1 : Create MyLocationManager.java class

Here the class to get current GPS location using Location listener.

import android.app.AlertDialog;

import android.content.Context;

import android.content.DialogInterface;

import android.content.Intent;

import android.location.Location;

import android.location.LocationListener;

import android.location.LocationManager;

import android.os.Bundle;

import android.provider.Settings;

public class MyLocationManager implements LocationListener

{

       private Context mContext = null;

       LocationManager mLocationManager = null;

       public MyLocationManager(Context context)

       {

              this.mContext = context;

              mLocationManager = (LocationManager)this.mContext.getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);

       }

       public Location getLocation()

       {

              Location mLocation = null;

              if(isGPSEnable() != true && isNetWorkProviderEnable() != true)

              {

              }

              else

              {

                     if(isGPSEnable())

                     {

                           mLocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, 0L, 0F, this);

                           mLocation = mLocationManager.getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);

                           if(mLocation == null && isNetWorkProviderEnable() == true)

                           {

                                  mLocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, 0L, 0F, this);

                                  mLocation = mLocationManager.getLastKnownLocation("network");

                           }

                     }

                     else

                     {

                           mLocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, 0L, 0F, this);

                           mLocation = mLocationManager.getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);

                     }

              }

              return mLocation;

       }

       public boolean isGPSEnable()

       {

              return mLocationManager.isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);

       }

       public boolean isNetWorkProviderEnable()

       {

              return mLocationManager.isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);

       }

       @Override

       public void onLocationChanged(Location location)

       {

       }

       @Override

       public void onProviderDisabled(String provider)

       {

       }

       @Override

       public void onProviderEnabled(String provider)

       {

       }

       @Override

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

       {

       }

       public void showSettingsAlert()

       {

              AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(mContext);

              //Setting Dialog Title

              alertDialog.setTitle(R.string.GPSAlertDialogTitle);

              //Setting Dialog Message

              alertDialog.setMessage(R.string.GPSAlertDialogMessage);

              //On Pressing Setting button

              alertDialog.setPositiveButton(R.string.settings, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener()

              {     

                     @Override

                     public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which)

                     {

                           Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);

                           mContext.startActivity(intent);

                     }

              });

              //On pressing cancel button

              alertDialog.setNegativeButton(R.string.cancel, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener()

              {     

                     @Override

                     public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which)

                     {

                           dialog.cancel();

                     }

              });

              alertDialog.show();

       }

}

Steps 2 : Create GpsService.java
-Its a service which run in background forever for capture location. Its has timer to set its Time interval for repeatedly at some interval.

import java.io.BufferedWriter;

import java.io.File;

import java.io.FileNotFoundException;

import java.io.FileWriter;

import java.io.IOException;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;

import java.util.Date;

import java.util.Timer;

import java.util.TimerTask;

import android.app.Service;

import android.content.Context;

import android.content.Intent;

import android.net.ConnectivityManager;

import android.net.NetworkInfo;

import android.os.Environment;

import android.os.Handler;

import android.os.IBinder;

import android.os.Message;

import android.util.Log;

import android.widget.Toast;

public class GpsService extends Service

{

       private Timer mTimer;

       GPSTracker gpsTracker;

       @Override

       public void onCreate()

       {

              Log.d("onCreate","onCreate called...");

              mTimer = new Timer();

       }

       @Override

       public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId)

       {            

              Log.d("onStartCommand","onStartCommand called...");

             

              mTimer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new MyTimerTask(), 0, 10000);//10 seconds

              return START_STICKY;

       }

       @Override

       public IBinder onBind(Intent intent)

       {

              return null;

       }

       @Override

       public void onDestroy()

       {     

              mTimer.cancel();

              Toast.makeText(this, "Service Destroyed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

              super.onDestroy();

       }

       private class MyTimerTask extends TimerTask {

              @Override

              public void run() {

                     handler.sendEmptyMessage(0);

              }

       }

       private final Handler handler = new Handler()

       {

              @Override

              public void handleMessage(Message msg)

              {

                     Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Refreshing...", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

                     SimpleDateFormat dateFormat=new SimpleDateFormat("dd/mm/yyyy hh:MM:ss");                

                     Log.i("BackService", dateFormat.format(new Date()));  

                     if(isOnline(getApplication()))

                     {

                           try

                           {

                                  MyLocationManager manager = new MyLocationManager(getApplicationContext());    

                                  Log.e("", ""+manager.getLocation().getLatitude()+","+manager.getLocation().getLongitude());

                                  WriteLog("Lat & lng ="+manager.getLocation().getLatitude()+","+manager.getLocation().getLongitude());                            

                           }

                           catch (Exception e)

                           {

                                  WriteLog("Exception ="+e.toString());

                           }

                     }

                     else

                     {

                           WriteLog("Internet is not available in device");

                     }

              }

       };   

       public static void WriteLog(String LogMessage)

       {     

              SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss");

              String formatedDate=dateFormat.format(new Date());

              LogMessage = "\n\n"+formatedDate+"\n" +LogMessage;           

              File root = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();

              File logDir = new File(root + "/TrakingLog");

              if(!logDir.exists())

              {

                     logDir.mkdirs();

              }

              else if(logDir.exists())

              {  

                     try

                     {

                           SimpleDateFormat dateFormat1 = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MM-yyyy");

                           String  dt=dateFormat1.format(new Date());

                           File file = new File(logDir,dt+".txt");

                           if(!file.exists())

                           {

                                  file.createNewFile();

                                  FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(file, true);

                                  BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw);

                                  bw.write("---TRACKING ON ("+dt+")---\n");                                  

                                  bw.flush();

                                  bw.close();

                           }

                           else if(file.exists())

                           {

                                  FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(file, true);

                                  BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw);

                                  bw.append(LogMessage);

                                  bw.flush();

                                  bw.close();                      

                           }

                     }

                     catch (FileNotFoundException e)

                     {            

                           Log.d("File not fond", e.getMessage());

                     }

                     catch (IOException e)

                     {

                           Log.d("File I/O", e.getMessage());

                     }

                     catch (Exception e)

                     {

                           Log.d("Log File exception", e.getMessage());

                     }

              }

       }

       public static boolean isOnline(Context context)

       {

              ConnectivityManager cm = (ConnectivityManager)context.getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);

              NetworkInfo netInfo = cm.getActiveNetworkInfo();

              if (netInfo != null && netInfo.isConnectedOrConnecting()&& cm.getActiveNetworkInfo().isAvailable()&& cm.getActiveNetworkInfo().isConnected())

              {

                     return true;

              }

              return false;

       }

}

Steps 3 : Create MainActivity.java

import android.app.Activity;

import android.content.Intent;

import android.os.Bundle;

import android.view.View;

import android.view.View.OnClickListener;

import android.widget.Button;

public class MainActivity extends Activity

{

       Button btnStart,btnStop;

       MyLocationManager locationManager;

       @Override

       protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)

       {

              super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

              setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);  

              locationManager=new MyLocationManager(MainActivity.this);

              btnStart=(Button) findViewById(R.id.btnStart);

              btnStop=(Button) findViewById(R.id.btnStop);

              btnStart.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener()

              {

                     @Override

                     public void onClick(View v)

                     {

                           if(locationManager.isGPSEnable())

                           {

                                  startService(new Intent(getBaseContext(), GpsService.class));

                           }

                           else

                           {

                                  locationManager.showSettingsAlert();

                           }

                     }

              });

              btnStop.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener()

              {

                     @Override

                     public void onClick(View v)

                     {

                           stopService(new Intent(getBaseContext(), GpsService.class));

                     }

              });

       }

}

Steps 4 : Create AndroidManifest.xml

Add following permission on AndroidManifest.xml And add service

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

<service android:name="GpsService"

            android:exported="false" />

I will be happy if you will provide your feedback or follow this blog. Any suggestion and help will be appreciated.

Thank you :)