Access browser url from running background service?

Question

In Android is it possible for a background service to access the url of the web page a user is currently looking at in their Chrome browser? From what ive read so far this is not possible without root access. Im just asking to see if anyone knows if maybe there is some other standard way of doing it?

Answer 1

No, it is not possible if you're not a Chrome developer.

Answer 2

yes you can. you can use accessibility service

note: if you're not an accessibility app, Google Play will not allow you on the app store if you use this API. If you're writing a personal app its fine.

example: How to get url from browser using accessibility service

The implementation:

    public class UrlInterceptorService extends AccessibilityService {
    private HashMap<String, Long> previousUrlDetections = new HashMap<>();

    @Override
    protected void onServiceConnected() {
        AccessibilityServiceInfo info = getServiceInfo();
        info.eventTypes = AccessibilityEvent.TYPE_WINDOW_CONTENT_CHANGED;
        info.packageNames = packageNames();
        info.feedbackType = AccessibilityServiceInfo.FEEDBACK_VISUAL;
        //throttling of accessibility event notification
        info.notificationTimeout = 300;
        //support ids interception
        info.flags = AccessibilityServiceInfo.FLAG_REPORT_VIEW_IDS |
                AccessibilityServiceInfo.FLAG_RETRIEVE_INTERACTIVE_WINDOWS;

        this.setServiceInfo(info);
    }

    private String captureUrl(AccessibilityNodeInfo info, SupportedBrowserConfig config) {
        List<AccessibilityNodeInfo> nodes = info.findAccessibilityNodeInfosByViewId(config.addressBarId);
        if (nodes == null || nodes.size() <= 0) {
            return null;
        }

        AccessibilityNodeInfo addressBarNodeInfo = nodes.get(0);
        String url = null;
        if (addressBarNodeInfo.getText() != null) {
            url = addressBarNodeInfo.getText().toString();
        }
        addressBarNodeInfo.recycle();
        return url;
    }

    @Override
    public void onAccessibilityEvent(@NonNull AccessibilityEvent event) {
        AccessibilityNodeInfo parentNodeInfo = event.getSource();
        if (parentNodeInfo == null) {
            return;
        }

        String packageName = event.getPackageName().toString();
        SupportedBrowserConfig browserConfig = null;
        for (SupportedBrowserConfig supportedConfig: getSupportedBrowsers()) {
            if (supportedConfig.packageName.equals(packageName)) {
                browserConfig = supportedConfig;
            }
        }
        //this is not supported browser, so exit
        if (browserConfig == null) {
            return;
        }

        String capturedUrl = captureUrl(parentNodeInfo, browserConfig);
        parentNodeInfo.recycle();

        //we can't find a url. Browser either was updated or opened page without url text field
        if (capturedUrl == null) {
            return;
        }

        long eventTime = event.getEventTime();
        String detectionId = packageName + ", and url " + capturedUrl;
        //noinspection ConstantConditions
        long lastRecordedTime = previousUrlDetections.containsKey(detectionId) ? previousUrlDetections.get(detectionId) : 0;
        //some kind of redirect throttling
        if (eventTime - lastRecordedTime > 2000) {
            previousUrlDetections.put(detectionId, eventTime);
            analyzeCapturedUrl(capturedUrl, browserConfig.packageName);
        }
    }

    private void analyzeCapturedUrl(@NonNull String capturedUrl, @NonNull String browserPackage) {
        String redirectUrl = "your redirect url is here";
        if (capturedUrl.contains("facebook.com")) {
            performRedirect(redirectUrl, browserPackage);
        }
    }

    /** we just reopen the browser app with our redirect url using service context
     * We may use more complicated solution with invisible activity to send a simple intent to open the url */
    private void performRedirect(@NonNull String redirectUrl, @NonNull String browserPackage) {
        try {
            Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(redirectUrl));
            intent.setPackage(browserPackage);
            intent.putExtra(Browser.EXTRA_APPLICATION_ID, browserPackage);
            intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP);
            startActivity(intent);
        }
        catch(ActivityNotFoundException e) {
            // the expected browser is not installed
            Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(redirectUrl));
            startActivity(i);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onInterrupt() { }

    @NonNull
    private static String[] packageNames() {
        List<String> packageNames = new ArrayList<>();
        for (SupportedBrowserConfig config: getSupportedBrowsers()) {
            packageNames.add(config.packageName);
        }
        return packageNames.toArray(new String[0]);
    }

    private static class SupportedBrowserConfig {
        public String packageName, addressBarId;
        public SupportedBrowserConfig(String packageName, String addressBarId) {
            this.packageName = packageName;
            this.addressBarId = addressBarId;
        }
    }

    /** @return a list of supported browser configs
     * This list could be instead obtained from remote server to support future browser updates without updating an app */
    @NonNull
    private static List<SupportedBrowserConfig> getSupportedBrowsers() {
        List<SupportedBrowserConfig> browsers = new ArrayList<>();
        browsers.add( new SupportedBrowserConfig("com.android.chrome", "com.android.chrome:id/url_bar"));
        browsers.add( new SupportedBrowserConfig("org.mozilla.firefox", "org.mozilla.firefox:id/url_bar_title"));
        return browsers;
    }
}

and accessibility service config:

<accessibility-service
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:description="@string/accessibility_service_description"
android:canRetrieveWindowContent="true"
android:settingsActivity=".ServiceSettingsActivity" />