Android scheduled tasks using SyncAdapter

In this post, we are going to create an sample Android app to demonstrate how to set up a scheduled task to run periodically using SyncAdapter, Services and ContentProvider in Android. It’s much like a cron job in unix. This sample app will show a notification message in the status bar every 60 seconds.

1. activity_main.xml in the res/layout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">
    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="20dp"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true"
        android:text="Hey! It works if you can see a notification message from the status bar every 1 minute.\n\nUpdate this constant SYNC_INTERVAL in the MyServiceSyncAdapter to change the update frequency." />
</RelativeLayout>

2. In the AndroidManifest.xml, add these permissions. The parent tag of these will be the root tag, manifest

<!-- Permissions required by the sync adapter -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_SYNC_SETTINGS"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_SYNC_SETTINGS"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.AUTHENTICATE_ACCOUNTS"/>

3. The MainActivity.java

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        MyServiceSyncAdapter.initializeSyncAdapter(getApplicationContext());
    }
}

4. The MyServiceSyncAdapter.java, this is the heavy lifing for the scheduled task.

public class MyServiceSyncAdapter extends AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter {
    //TODO change this constant SYNC_INTERVAL to change the sync frequency
    public static final int SYNC_INTERVAL               = 60; //60 * 180;       // 60 seconds (1 minute) * 180 = 3 hours
    public static final int SYNC_FLEXTIME               = SYNC_INTERVAL/3;
    private static final int MOVIE_NOTIFICATION_ID      = 3004;

    public MyServiceSyncAdapter(Context context, boolean autoInitialize) {
        super(context, autoInitialize);
    }

    @Override
    public void onPerformSync(Account account, Bundle extras, String authority, ContentProviderClient provider, SyncResult syncResult) {
        Log.i("MyServiceSyncAdapter", "onPerformSync");
        //TODO get some data from the internet, api calls, etc.
        //TODO save the data to database, sqlite, couchbase, etc
        notifyDataDownloaded();
    }

    /**
     * Send the notification message to the status bar
     */
    private void notifyDataDownloaded() {
        Context context = getContext();
        NotificationCompat.Builder mBuilder =
                new NotificationCompat.Builder(context)
                        .setSmallIcon(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.drawable.notification_template_icon_bg)
                        .setContentTitle("Sync Adapter")
                        .setContentText("New Data Available!");

        // Opening the app when the user clicks on the notification.
        Intent resultIntent = new Intent(context, MainActivity.class);

        // The stack builder object will contain an artificial back stack for the started Activity.
        // This ensures that navigating backward from the Activity leads out of your application to the Home screen.
        TaskStackBuilder stackBuilder = TaskStackBuilder.create(context);
        stackBuilder.addNextIntent(resultIntent);
        PendingIntent resultPendingIntent = stackBuilder.getPendingIntent(0, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
        mBuilder.setContentIntent(resultPendingIntent);

        NotificationManager mNotificationManager = (NotificationManager) getContext().getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
        mNotificationManager.notify(MOVIE_NOTIFICATION_ID, mBuilder.build()); // MOVIE_NOTIFICATION_ID allows you to update the notification later on.
    }


    /**
     * Helper method to schedule the sync adapter periodic execution
     */
    public static void configurePeriodicSync(Context context, int syncInterval, int flexTime) {
        Account account = getSyncAccount(context);
        String authority = context.getString(R.string.content_authority);
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
            // we can enable inexact timers in our periodic sync
            SyncRequest request = new SyncRequest.Builder()
                    .syncPeriodic(syncInterval, flexTime)
                    .setSyncAdapter(account, authority)
                    .setExtras(new Bundle()).build();
            ContentResolver.requestSync(request);
        } else {
            ContentResolver.addPeriodicSync(account, authority, new Bundle(), syncInterval);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Helper method to have the sync adapter sync immediately
     * @param context The context used to access the account service
     */
    public static void syncImmediately(Context context) {
        Log.i("MyServiceSyncAdapter", "syncImmediately");
        Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
        bundle.putBoolean(ContentResolver.SYNC_EXTRAS_EXPEDITED, true);
        bundle.putBoolean(ContentResolver.SYNC_EXTRAS_MANUAL, true);
        ContentResolver.requestSync(getSyncAccount(context), context.getString(R.string.content_authority), bundle);
    }

    /**
     * Helper method to get the fake account to be used with SyncAdapter, or make a new one
     * if the fake account doesn't exist yet.  If we make a new account, we call the
     * onAccountCreated method so we can initialize things.
     *
     * @param context The context used to access the account service
     * @return a fake account.
     */
    public static Account getSyncAccount(Context context) {
        AccountManager accountManager = (AccountManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ACCOUNT_SERVICE); // Get an instance of the Android account manager
        Account newAccount = new Account(context.getString(R.string.app_name), context.getString(R.string.sync_account_type)); // Create the account type and default account

        // If the password doesn't exist, the account doesn't exist
        if (accountManager.getPassword(newAccount) == null) {
            if (!accountManager.addAccountExplicitly(newAccount, "", null)) {
                Log.e("MyServiceSyncAdapter", "getSyncAccount Failed to create new account.");
                return null;
            }
            onAccountCreated(newAccount, context);
        }
        return newAccount;
    }

    private static void onAccountCreated(Account newAccount, Context context) {
        Log.i("MyServiceSyncAdapter", "onAccountCreated");
        MyServiceSyncAdapter.configurePeriodicSync(context, SYNC_INTERVAL, SYNC_FLEXTIME);
        ContentResolver.setSyncAutomatically(newAccount, context.getString(R.string.content_authority), true);
        syncImmediately(context);
    }

    public static void initializeSyncAdapter(Context context) {
        Log.d("MyServiceSyncAdapter", "initializeSyncAdapter");
        getSyncAccount(context);
    }
}

5. MyServiceSync.java for providing the service to Android to do things you have set up in the SyncAdapter above.

public class MyServiceSync extends Service {
    private static final Object sSyncAdapterLock = new Object();
    private static MyServiceSyncAdapter myServiceSyncAdapter = null;

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        Log.d("MyServiceSync", "onCreate");
        synchronized (sSyncAdapterLock) {
            if (myServiceSyncAdapter == null) {
                myServiceSyncAdapter = new MyServiceSyncAdapter(getApplicationContext(), true);
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        Log.d("MyServiceSync", "onBind");
        return myServiceSyncAdapter.getSyncAdapterBinder();
    }
}

6. MyAuthenticator.java for creating a dummy authenticator for the SyncAdapter to use.

public class MyAuthenticator extends AbstractAccountAuthenticator {

    public MyAuthenticator(Context context) {
        super(context);
    }

    // No properties to edit.
    @Override
    public Bundle editProperties(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r, String s) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    // Because we're not actually adding an account to the device, just return null.
    @Override
    public Bundle addAccount(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            String s,
            String s2,
            String[] strings,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        return null;
    }

    // Ignore attempts to confirm credentials
    @Override
    public Bundle confirmCredentials(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        return null;
    }

    // Getting an authentication token is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle getAuthToken(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            String s,
            Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    // Getting a label for the auth token is not supported
    @Override
    public String getAuthTokenLabel(String s) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    // Updating user credentials is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle updateCredentials(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account,
            String s, Bundle bundle) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    // Checking features for the account is not supported
    @Override
    public Bundle hasFeatures(
            AccountAuthenticatorResponse r,
            Account account, String[] strings) throws NetworkErrorException {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }
}

7. MyAuthenticatorService.java for providing service for the SyncAdapter to access the authenticator.

public class MyAuthenticatorService extends Service {
    // Instance field that stores the authenticator object
    private MyAuthenticator mAuthenticator;

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        Log.d("MyAuthenticatorService", "onCreate");
        // Create a new authenticator object
        mAuthenticator = new MyAuthenticator(this);
    }

    /*
     * When the system binds to this Service to make the RPC call
     * return the authenticator's IBinder.
     */
    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        Log.d("MyAuthenticatorService", "onBind");
        return mAuthenticator.getIBinder();
    }
}

8. MyContentProvider.java, a dummy content provider, just to support the sync adapter because your app need a content provider in order for the ContentResolver trigger the SyncAdapter.

public class MyContentProvider extends ContentProvider {

    @Override
    public boolean onCreate() {
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public String getType(Uri uri) {
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    public Cursor query(Uri uri, String[] projection, String selection, String[] selectionArgs, String sortOrder) {
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    public Uri insert(Uri uri, ContentValues values) {
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    public int delete(Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {
        return 0;
    }

    @Override
    public int update(Uri uri, ContentValues values, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {
        return 0;
    }

    @Override
    public int bulkInsert(Uri uri, ContentValues[] values) {
        return 0;
    }

}

9. Add the following in the res/strings.xml

<resources>
    <string name="app_name">Sync Adapter</string>

    <!-- SyncAdapter related -->
    <string name="sync_account_type">my.example.com</string>
    <string name="content_authority">com.sample.app.syncadapter</string>
</resources>

10. Create a xml directory in res/ folder, and the create the following 2 xml files in it.
authenticator.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<account-authenticator xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:accountType="@string/sync_account_type"
    android:icon="@android:drawable/ic_dialog_info"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:smallIcon="@android:drawable/ic_dialog_info" />

syncadapter.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<sync-adapter xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:contentAuthority="@string/content_authority"
    android:accountType="@string/sync_account_type"
    android:userVisible="false"
    android:supportsUploading="false"
    android:allowParallelSyncs="false"
    android:isAlwaysSyncable="true" />

11. Register the content provider and the services defined above in the AndroidManifest.xml, they should be in the application tag

<provider
    android:authorities="@string/content_authority"
    android:name=".MyContentProvider"
    android:exported="false"
    android:syncable="true" />


<!-- SyncAdapter's dummy authentication service -->
<service android:name=".MyAuthenticatorService">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.accounts.AccountAuthenticator" />
    </intent-filter>
    <meta-data
        android:name="android.accounts.AccountAuthenticator"
        android:resource="@xml/authenticator" />
</service>

<!-- The SyncAdapter service -->
<service
    android:name=".MyServiceSync"
    android:exported="true">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.content.SyncAdapter" />
    </intent-filter>
    <meta-data
        android:name="android.content.SyncAdapter"
        android:resource="@xml/syncadapter" />
</service>

12. Launch the app and see if it works!

Complete example in Github

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