Background service for android oreo

This isn't possible in this API version (26) and higher. Android OS automatically close your service if you run it without showing a notification to the user.

If you are targeting API >= 26 the system will impose a restriction on your service to run in background unless your activity in foreground. As soon as your activity goes to background, the service will be terminates when system finds it running in background (See Background service limitations).

By using startForegroundService() method you grant that permission to run the service in background even when the activity isn't running. Must also once the service has been created, the service must call its startForeground() method within five seconds.


If you would have read the Android Oreo 8.0 Documentation properly somewhere in here, you might not have posted this question here.

Step 1: Make sure you start a service as a foreground Service as given in below code

ContextCompat.startForegroundService(mainActivity, new Intent(getContext(), GpsServices.class));
ContextCompat.startForegroundService(mainActivity, new Intent(getContext(), BluetoothService.class));
ContextCompat.startForegroundService(mainActivity, new Intent(getContext(), BackgroundApiService.class));

Step 2: Use notification to show that your service is running. Add below line of code in onCreate method of Service.

@Override
public void onCreate() {
    ...
    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
        startForeground(NOTIFICATION_ID, notification);
    }
    ...
}

Step 3: Remove the notification when the service is stopped or destroyed.

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    ...
    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
          stopForeground(true); //true will remove notification
    }
    ...
}

One problem with this solution is that it will keep showing the notification until your Service is running on all devices running on Android Oreo 8.0.

I'm sure that this solution will work even when the app is in the background or in kill state.

IMPORTANT NOTE: SHOWING A NOTIFICATION FOR RUNNING A SERVICE IN BACKGROUND (APP IN BACKGROUND OR KILLED STATE) IS MANDATORY IN ANDROID OREO 8.0. YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY WITH IT. SO IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU MAKE NECESSARY CHANGES IN YOUR APP TO MAKE IT WORK PROPERLY AS PER THE BEST PRACTICES FOLLOWED OR ASKED BY ANDROID.

I hope this might help to solve your problem.


This code worked for me. First you make sure :

1- Define the service in Manifest

2- Define the permission in Manifest

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

3- Make sure you have started the service before.

Your service should have a notification. You should be careful that your notification must have a ChannelID !

this page can help you:

How to create a Custom Notification Layout in android?

Android how to show notification on screen

Now paste the following code into your service

@Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
            try {
                if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
                    startForeground(" your Notification ID ", notification);
                }
            } catch (Exception e) {
                Log.e(" Error --->> ", e.getMessage());
            }
    }

after that add this code:

@Override
public ComponentName startForegroundService(Intent service) {
    return super.startForegroundService(service);
}

and this:

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
        stopForeground(true);
    }
}