Android O how to create an Home screen shortcut that won't open an Activity

Question

I'm trying to create from my player app an home screen shortcut that will trigger the playback of a specific live stream, without opening an activity. Unfortunately this doesn't work...

ShortcutManager sM = c.getSystemService(ShortcutManager.class);

    Intent intent2 = new Intent(c.getApplicationContext(), APPBroadcastReceiver.class);
    intent2.setAction("toggle_intent");
    intent2.putExtra("id", 1);
    ShortcutInfo  shortcut2 = new ShortcutInfo.Builder(c,MSG_SHORCUT_CUSTOM)
            .setIntent(intent2)
            .setShortLabel("ShortLabel")
            .setLongLabel("LongLaber")
            .setDisabledMessage("DisabledMessage")
            .setIcon(Icon.createWithResource(c, R.mipmap.ic_add_outline_short))
            .build();
    listshortcut.add(shortcut2);

    Intent pinnedShortcutCallbackIntent = mShortcutManager.createShortcutResultIntent(shortcut2);
    PendingIntent successCallback = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0,  pinnedShortcutCallbackIntent, 0);

mShortcutManager.requestPinShortcut(pinShortcutInfo, successCallback.getIntentSender());

The shortcurt is created but all I get when I press on it is 'Application not installed' As soon as I replace my Receiver class by an activity the activity opens.

Is it possible to trigger a custom intent that won't open an activity from an home screen shortcut?

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 27 '17 at 08:37

2

Not directly. As far as I know, app shortcuts can only point to Activities. But you can make a very thin Activity that just forwards Intents to your BroadcastReceiver:

public class IntentForwardActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        Intent broadcastIntent = new Intent(getIntent());
        broadcastIntent.setClassName(getApplicationContext(), APPBroadcastReceiver.class);
        sendBroadcast(broadcastIntent);
        finish();
    }
}

In particular, Activities don't need to have a layout or call setContentView().

answered Dec 27 '17 at 08:37

Jack Meister

247
3
6

Thanks for this workaround, unfortunately the app reopens showing its current activity. I'm trying to toggle playback from the homescreen without opening the app UI – user1026605 Dec 28 '17 at 01:17
That sounds like a problem involving task affinity. Try setting the [launch mode](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html#lmode) of `IntentForwardActivity` to `"singleInstance"` in your manifest. – Jack Meister Dec 28 '17 at 01:29
Thanks, but the problem is that we can see a screen being opened then closed, which won't work for the users... – user1026605 Dec 28 '17 at 02:14
I see. In that case, you could additionally make `IntentForwardActivity` [transparent](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2176922/how-do-i-create-a-transparent-activity-on-android) and [turn its window animations off](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6972295/switching-activities-without-animation). I understand that this approach seems hacky, but I know for a fact that short-lived transparent activities can work for things like this. (And since I still think that app shortcuts have to point to activities, I think there's no other way to do what you want.) – Jack Meister Dec 28 '17 at 02:49

Android O how to create an Home screen shortcut that won't open an Activity

1 Answers1