Android notification white circle when app is not running

Question

I'm using Firebase Notification for my app's push notifications. All working well but notification icon shows white circle when app is not running. I'm targeting SDK version 23, also I'm using Roman Nurik's notification icon generator to generate white-on-transparent icons.

Notification icon is showing correctly when app is on foreground and running. img

But icon gets replaced with generic white circle when app is in background or killed. img

Here's my notification builder method:

private void sendNotification(String messageTitle, String messageBody) {

    Intent intent = new Intent(this, MainActivity.class);
    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
    PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, intent,
            PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);

    NotificationCompat.Builder notification = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this)
            .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_stat_notification_icon)
            .setContentTitle(messageTitle)
            .setContentText(messageBody)
            .setStyle(new NotificationCompat.BigTextStyle().bigText(messageBody))
            .setAutoCancel(true)
            .setPriority(Notification.PRIORITY_DEFAULT)
            .setDefaults(Notification.DEFAULT_ALL)
            .setContentIntent(pendingIntent);

    NotificationManager notificationManager =
            (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);

    notificationManager.notify(0, notification.build());

}

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

I've already found an answer on similar issue: Notification Icon with the new Firebase Cloud Messaging system

Unfortunately this is a limitation of Firebase Notifications in SDK 9.0.0. When the app is in the background the launcher icon is use from the manifest (with the requisite Android tinting) for messages sent from the console.

If the app is in the foreground (or a data message is sent) you should be able to use your own logic to customise, and you should be able to customise the icon if sending the message from the HTTP/XMPP APIs. Right now with messages sent from the console you'll get this behavior.

It seems to be that the best way to avoid this Firebase Notifications bug is to change your targetSdkVersion in build.gradle to 19. The notification icon will be then colored. Firebase after a while will fix this issue.

Hope it will help

Thanks for the reply. So it means issue is caused only when sending test notifications from Firebase console? If I send real notifications from my real backend server there won't be this kind of issues then? — Orkhan Ahmadov, Aug 11 '16 at 09:25
yes, that's exactly what it means. Try also to check other solutions in post above like ... out of tag in `AndroidManifest.xml`, but I'm pretty sure that it's Firebase console bug — piotrek1543, Aug 11 '16 at 09:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 11 '16 at 09:20

try this code:

 Intent intent = new Intent(this, TabActivity.class);
    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
    PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0 /* Request code */, intent,
            PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);

    Uri defaultSoundUri= RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);
    NotificationCompat.Builder notificationBuilder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this)
            .setSmallIcon(getNotificationIcon())
            .setContentTitle("IDS DMS Support")
            .setContentText(messageBody)
            .setAutoCancel(true)
            .setSound(defaultSoundUri)
            .setContentIntent(pendingIntent);


    NotificationManager notificationManager =
            (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);

    notificationManager.notify(0 /* ID of notification */, notificationBuilder.build());

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

I think that you need to add a silhouette icon to the app and use it if the device is running Android Lollipop.

Use below code to get small icon for notification.

protected int getNotificationIcon() {
        boolean useWhiteIcon = (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP);
        return useWhiteIcon ? R.drawable.ic_silhouette : R.drawable.ic_launcher;
    }

You can see full solution Here.

I did same thing and works fine.

Android notification white circle when app is not running

3 Answers3