Show facebook like chat head from a broadcast receiver in android

Question

I am following this tutorial to implement facebook like chat head. When I start the service from an activity it just work fine. But when I start it from a broadcast receiver the chat head is not showing.And when I open the app it shows.Can I show the chat head from a broadcast receiver, without using an activity? Actaully Iam using this feature like a callerid window. So that it will show up when I receive a call. Here is ChatHead service,

public class CallerIDService extends Service {

private WindowManager windowManager;
private ImageView chatHead;
private RelativeLayout parentlayout;
private RelativeLayout border;
Button close;
Button add;
int imageid = 1;
int borderid = 2;
int nameid = 3;
int closeid = 4;
TextView name;
TextView number;
String numbertext;
String nametext;

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
    // Not used
    return null;
}

@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    Bundle b = intent.getExtras();

    numbertext = b.getString("number");
    nametext = b.getString("name");

    name.setText(nametext);
    number.setText(numbertext);

    Log.i("Incoming in service ", "Incoming in service " + numbertext
            + "--" + nametext);

    return super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
}

@Override
public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();

    windowManager = (WindowManager) getSystemService(WINDOW_SERVICE);

    chatHead = new ImageView(this);
    close = new Button(this);
    add = new Button(this);
    add.setText("Save");
    close.setText("Dismiss");
    close.setId(closeid);

    chatHead.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_usericon);

    chatHead.setId(imageid);

    parentlayout = new RelativeLayout(this);
    border = new RelativeLayout(this);
    border.setId(borderid);

    parentlayout.setBackgroundColor(Color.parseColor("#ffffff"));
    border.setBackgroundColor(Color.parseColor("#ff0c0c"));

    name = new TextView(this);

    name.setTextColor(Color.parseColor("#494949"));
    name.setId(nameid);
    name.setTextSize(19);

    number = new TextView(this);

    number.setTextColor(Color.parseColor("#696969"));

    number.setTextSize(16);

    final WindowManager.LayoutParams params = new WindowManager.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT, 150,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_FOCUSABLE
                    | WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCH_MODAL,
            PixelFormat.TRANSLUCENT);

    params.gravity = Gravity.TOP | Gravity.LEFT;
    params.x = 0;
    params.y = 100;

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_imageview = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

    params_imageview.addRule(RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT);

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_border = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, 3);

    params_border.addRule(RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_TOP);

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_name = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

    params_name.addRule(RelativeLayout.RIGHT_OF, imageid);
    params_name.addRule(RelativeLayout.CENTER_VERTICAL);

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_number = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

    params_number.addRule(RelativeLayout.RIGHT_OF, imageid);
    params_number.addRule(RelativeLayout.BELOW, nameid);

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_add = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

    params_add.addRule(RelativeLayout.LEFT_OF, closeid);
    params_add.addRule(RelativeLayout.CENTER_VERTICAL);

    final RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params_close = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

    params_close.addRule(RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_RIGHT);
    params_close.addRule(RelativeLayout.CENTER_VERTICAL);

    // android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    // android:layout_below="@+id/relativeLayout1"

    parentlayout.addView(chatHead, params_imageview);// adding user image to
                                                        // view
    parentlayout.addView(border, params_border);// adding top border to view
    parentlayout.addView(name, params_name);
    parentlayout.addView(number, params_number);
    parentlayout.addView(close, params_close);
    parentlayout.addView(add, params_add);

    windowManager.addView(parentlayout, params);

    close.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

        @Override
        public void onClick(View arg0) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub
            stopSelf();

        }
    });

    add.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

        @Override
        public void onClick(View arg0) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub
            addcontact(numbertext, nametext);
            add.setVisibility(View.GONE);

        }
    });



}



@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy();
    if (parentlayout != null)
        windowManager.removeView(parentlayout);
}

}

And in onReceive method of my broadcast receiver I am showing the chat head using,

Intent callerid = new Intent(
            context,
            CallerIDService.class);
    callerid.putExtra("name", "basim");
    callerid.putExtra("number", "123456");
    context.startService(callerid);

Witter

Answer 1

I think its because you Service is not started and you need to register you service in the manifest and let it start without your activity.

Here is a thread on that subject.

Android - Start service on boot

Boscage

No, My services is started and the chat head is triggered.But it is visible only when I open the app itself.Otherwise it will be invisble. – Witter

Answer 2

Have you added following permission?

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

Swale