Broadcast receiver is an application component like activity and service. Its sole aim is to listen for broadcast for which it is registered (through intent-filters). Broadcast receiver can receive broadcast from android system, other applications and from inside the application. Read more about broadcast receivers at developer.android.
We can register receiver in manifest.xml or inside an Activity. We should use define and register broadcast receiver inside activity if we want perform action related to activity (e.g updating UI). We should define it in standalone class otherwise.
No matter what your use-case is, Lets see how to implement these two ways. Lets say we have BroadcastExampleActivity and a receiver inside it called Myreceiver:
public class BroadcastExampleActivity extends Activity {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
private Myreceiver reMyreceive;
private IntentFilter filter;
@Override
protected void onPause() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
super.onPause();
unregisterReceiver(reMyreceive);
}
@Override
protected void onResume() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
super.onResume();
registerReceiver(reMyreceive, filter);
}
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
Log.d("sohail", "onCreate called");
reMyreceive=new Myreceiver();
//typo mistake
//Edited after pointing out by a reader, thanks
// IntentFilter filter=new IntentFilter("sohail.aziz");
filter=new IntentFilter("sohail.aziz");
Intent i= new Intent(this,MyIntentService.class);
Log.d("sohail", "starting MyIntentservice");
startService(i);
}
public class Myreceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{
@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Log.d("sohail", "MyReceiver: broadcast received");
}
}
}
Note that while implementing inside activity, receiver should be registered in OnResume() and unregistered in OnPause() in order to “cut down unnecessary system overhead- developer.android“. [Otherwise your receiver will continue running even when activity get paused! check example in updated source]. Intenfilter(“sohail.aziz”) is the action name for which this receiver is listening. Broadcast sender must set the action name for intended recipient. Lets define MyIntentservice which will send the broadcast.
public class MyIntentService extends IntentService{
public MyIntentService() {
super("MyIntentService");
// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
Log.d("sohail","Myintentservice constructor");
}
@Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent arg0) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Log.d("sohail", "onHandle intent called");
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
Intent in= new Intent();
in.setAction("sohail.aziz");
Log.d("sohail", "onHandleIntent: sending broadcast");
sendBroadcast(in);
}
}
Notice that we are sending broadcast here with action “sohail.aziz”, this is the same action name for which we set intentfilter in our broadcast receiver. Now when broadcast is sent by sendBroadcast, Myreceiver onReceive will be called and intent will be passed to it. You can pass anything via intent. This way we don’t need to register receiver inside manifest.xml as it has become a sub component of the activity.
Second method: Broadcast Receiver: Two ways to implement part-2
thnks. this really helped me a lot 🙂
You are welcome 🙂
Your variable private IntentFilter filter; is never initialized and your statement registerReceiver(reMyreceive, filter); is equivalent to registerReceiver(reMyreceive, null);. Can you guess why? 🙂
Yes got it, thanks for pointing out, (left in proof reading).
I'm working with your solution but i register with android.intent.action.DATA_SMS_RECEIVED.
This is my code: IntentFilter mFilter = new IntentFilter(
“android.intent.action.DATA_SMS_RECEIVED”);
mFilter.setPriority(IntentFilter.SYSTEM_HIGH_PRIORITY);
mFilter.addDataAuthority(“localhost”, “xxxxx”);
mFilter.addDataScheme(“sms”);
if (smsReceiver == null)
smsReceiver = new SmsReceiverBroadcast();
context.registerReceiver(smsReceiver, mFilter);
It works, but sometime i can't get message, It's not stable. I don't know the reason.
Thanks for your help!
It is of great help. Thanks!
Hi–
Can we register BroadCastReceiver inside another broadCastReceiver ?
Might sound stupid but ending up in a situation like this….scenario is
On PhoneStartup I would like to register SMSService. I do not want to make it traditional way of putting in AndroidManifest.xml as I will be exposing interface to initialize my app which in turn starts up SMSBroadCastReceiver using code below
Log.d(TAG,”Registering SMS BroadCast receiver”);
SMSReceiver mSMSreceiver = new SMSReceiver(nemesisManager);
IntentFilter mIntentFilter = new IntentFilter();
mIntentFilter.addAction(“android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED”);
context.registerReceiver(mSMSreceiver, mIntentFilter);
Log.d(TAG,”Registered SMS BroadCast receiver”);
Any help suggestion please…
Cheers,
Prashanth
hello, thanks for the tutorial.
after this line:
filter=new IntentFilter(“sohail.aziz”);
you do not use use ” filter” – where is it used?
thanks
anna
its used in onResume while registering the receiver.
Thanks for making this tutorial, its totally helpful.
Thank you, flawless!
Fix the link to your part 2. It is suppose to be
http://sohailaziz05.blogspot.com/2012/05/broadcast-receiver-two-ways-to_28.html
NOT
http://www.sohailaziz.com/2012/05/broadcast-receiver-two-ways-to_28.html