Android How to listen for Volume Button events?

Question

I know you guys are probably tired of these kinds of posts, but why doesn't anything happen when I press volume down? I'm just trying to make a simple code, but apparently it's not working.

package com.cakemansapps.lightwriter;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnTouchListener;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.util.Log;

public class LightWriter extends Activity implements OnTouchListener {
private static final String TAG = "Touch" ;
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
  super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
  setContentView(R.layout.main);
  FrameLayout main = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.main_view);
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) 
{
    Log.w("LightWriter", "I WORK BRO.");
    return true;
}
return super.onKeyLongPress(keyCode, event);
}

public boolean onTouch(View view, MotionEvent me) {
    throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
}

}

related: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7493531/trying-to-catch-the-volume-onkeylongpress-not-working — whostolemyhat, Feb 06 '12 at 15:46
Don't you need to associate your key event with controls? Did you check this link http://www.vogella.de/articles/AndroidMedia/article.html — kosa, Feb 06 '12 at 15:48

score 69 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 09 '20 at 17:24

69

I don't know if you can get long press events for the hardware keys.

I've used this code to listen for the volume button before.

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN){
        // Do something
    }
    return true;
}

If that doesn't work for you let us know what device you are testing on.

Kotlin

override fun onKeyDown(keyCode: Int, event: KeyEvent?): Boolean {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) { 
        // Do something
    }
    return true
}

edited Sep 09 '20 at 17:24

charles92

3
3

answered Feb 06 '12 at 15:47

FoamyGuy

46,603
18
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1

Should the "returns true" line be inside of the 'if' block and by default it should return false? You should only return true if you handled the event. – Birdnado Apr 29 '14 at 21:33
24

The last line should be "return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);" instead of "return true". – TechAurelian May 09 '14 at 15:31
3

This code is correct, but it will disable the main purpose which is to lessen the volume. it will prioritize the statement in the `//Do something part` – ajdeguzman Aug 01 '14 at 03:21
2

@ajdeguzman if you return false, instead of true, I think it will also change the volume accordingly. – FoamyGuy Aug 01 '14 at 14:19
3

Awesome. How do I know which volume is it lowering?... For example, if it's the System or Music or Alarm? – Si8 Nov 21 '16 at 21:37
Thanks you saved my time...+1 for that – Sagar Aghara Apr 11 '17 at 05:56
@AnAurelian return true will make volume button "disabled". So you can run the code without changing the volume. – Chris Maverick Sep 18 '17 at 06:59

score 17 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 09 '15 at 07:28

17

Another approach

@Override
public boolean dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent event) {
    int action = event.getAction();
    int keyCode = event.getKeyCode();
        switch (keyCode) {
        case KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP:
            if (action == KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN) {
                //TODO
            }
            return true;
        case KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN:
            if (action == KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN) {
                //TODO
            }
            return true;
        default:
            return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event);
        }
    }

answered Jan 09 '15 at 07:28

Zar E Ahmer

33,936
20
234
300

2

can you please tell how it work when device is locked – Abhishek Sep 29 '16 at 09:38
nice... how to silence/disable/hide notification when pressing volume button? =( – KingRider Jun 20 '17 at 14:42
How to handle if screen is locked? @Abhisheck Did you found answer for lock screen? – Cheerag Aug 05 '17 at 10:24
Is there any broadcast available to listen pressed key? – Hitesh Dhamshaniya Mar 26 '18 at 06:57

score 8 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 23 '17 at 08:58

8

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if ((keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN)) {
        // ... your code
        return true;
    } else if ((keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP)) {
        // ... your code
        return true;
    } else
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
}

edited Nov 23 '17 at 08:58

Micer

8,731
3
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answered Jul 07 '15 at 12:03

Hamidreza Sadegh

2,155
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score 5 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 12 '20 at 10:15

5

try these. just tested them:

@Override
public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    super.onKeyLongPress(keyCode, event);
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        Log.w("LightWriter", "I WORK BRO.");
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        Log.w("LightWriter", "I WORK BRO.");
        return true;
    }
    return true;
}

edited Apr 12 '20 at 10:15

alexrnov

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answered Feb 06 '12 at 15:52

Sergey Benner

4,421
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@Sergery can you tell me how it work when device is locked – Abhishek Sep 29 '16 at 09:39
1

@Abhishek I've never done this... but my understanding/guess is: Your app would need permission to run when screen is locked( http://stackoverflow.com/a/11546168/2801237) and/or would likely need to setup a broadcast receiver to receive the key event (possibly one of these(and it 'might' change which device is used) https://developer.android.com/reference/android/media/AudioManager.html ) (Sorry for ambiguity(I usually work on ContentProviders, Services, IPC, etc.), but hope this helps lead down right path) – mawalker Nov 09 '16 at 20:02
onKeyLongPress() didn't work by me. However onKeyDown() works. Seems to be device dependent. – ka3ak Jun 14 '18 at 06:11
Ok, I know what the problem was. I had to call event.startTracking() in onKeyDown(). After that the onKeyLongPress() was called. – ka3ak Jun 14 '18 at 06:30

score 4 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 22 '16 at 10:19

use this code to handle Volume key event

@Override
public boolean onKeyUp(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    super.onKeyUp(keyCode, event);
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP)
    {
        Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,"Up working",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}
@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN)
    {
        Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,"Down working",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

Although this might be working, the approach is I believe wrong. If you check the docs, `onKeyDown` is called when ANY button is pressed, `onKeyUp` is called when ANY button press is released. You can handle both `KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP` and `KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN` in one of them. — Micer, Nov 23 '17 at 08:56

Android How to listen for Volume Button events?

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