Foreground service types

Beginning with Android 14 (API level 34), you must declare an appropriate service type for each foreground service. That means you must declare the service type in your app manifest, and also request the appropriate foreground service permission for that type (in addition to requesting the FOREGROUND_SERVICE permission). Furthermore, depending on the foreground service type, you might have to request runtime permissions before you launch the service.

Camera

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under android:foregroundServiceType

camera

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_CAMERA

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_CAMERA

Runtime prerequisites

Request and be granted the CAMERA runtime permission

Note: The CAMERA runtime permission is subject to while-in-use restrictions. For this reason, you cannot create a camera foreground service while your app is in the background, with a few exceptions. For more information, see Restrictions on starting foreground services that need while-in-use permissions.

Description

Continue to access the camera from the background, such as video chat apps that allow for multitasking.

Connected device

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

connectedDevice

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_CONNECTED_DEVICE

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_CONNECTED_DEVICE

Runtime prerequisites

At least one of the following conditions must be true:

• Declare at least one of the following permissions in your manifest:

  • CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE
  • CHANGE_WIFI_STATE
  • CHANGE_WIFI_MULTICAST_STATE
  • NFC
  • TRANSMIT_IR

• Request and be granted at least one of the following runtime permissions:

  • BLUETOOTH_CONNECT
  • BLUETOOTH_ADVERTISE
  • BLUETOOTH_SCAN
  • UWB_RANGING

• Call UsbManager.requestPermission()

Description

Interactions with external devices that require a Bluetooth, NFC, IR, USB, or network connection.

Alternatives

If your app needs to do continuous data transfer to an external device, consider using the companion device manager instead. Use the companion device presence API to help your app stay running while the companion device is in range.

If your app needs to scan for bluetooth devices, consider using the Bluetooth scan API instead.

Data sync

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

dataSync

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_DATA_SYNC

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Data transfer operations, such as the following:

• Data upload or download
• Backup-and-restore operations
• Import or export operations
• Fetch data
• Local file processing
• Transfer data between a device and the cloud over a network

Alternatives

Create user-initiated data transfer jobs to let users start long-running data upload or download tasks.

Use the download manager API to download data from a URI.

Use BackupManager to back up or restore data.

For other use-cases, consider WorkManager.

Health

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

health

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_HEALTH

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_HEALTH

Runtime prerequisites

At least one of the following conditions must be true:

• Declare the HIGH_SAMPLING_RATE_SENSORS permission in your manifest.

• Request and be granted at least one of the following runtime permissions:

  • BODY_SENSORS
  • ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION

Note: The BODY_SENSORS runtime permission is subject to while-in-use restrictions. For this reason, you cannot create a health foreground service that uses body sensors while your app is in the background, with a few exceptions. For more information, see Restrictions on starting foreground services that need while-in-use permissions.

Description

Any long-running use cases to support apps in the fitness category such as exercise trackers.

Location

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

location

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_LOCATION

Runtime prerequisites

Request and be granted at least one of the following runtime permissions:

• ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
• ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION

Note: The location runtime permissions are subject to while-in-use restrictions. For this reason, you cannot create a location foreground service while your app is in the background, with a few exceptions. For more information, see Restrictions on starting foreground services that need while-in-use permissions.

Description

Long-running use cases that require location access, such as navigation and location sharing.

Alternatives

If your app needs to be triggered when the user reaches specific locations, consider using the geofence API instead.

Media

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

mediaPlayback

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Continue audio or video playback from the background. Support Digital Video Recording (DVR) functionality on Android TV.

Alternatives

If you're showing picture-in-picture video, use Picture-in-Picture mode.

Media projection

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

mediaProjection

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PROJECTION

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_MEDIA_PROJECTION

Runtime prerequisites

Call the createScreenCaptureIntent() method before starting the foreground service. Doing so shows a permission notification to the user; the user must grant the permission before you can create the service.

After you have created the foreground service, you can call MediaProjectionManager.getMediaProjection().

Description

Project content to non-primary display or external device using the MediaProjection APIs. This content doesn't have to be exclusively media content.

Alternatives

To stream media to another device, use the Google Cast SDK.

Microphone

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

microphone

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MICROPHONE

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_MICROPHONE

Runtime prerequisites

Request and be granted the RECORD_AUDIO runtime permission.

Note: The RECORD_AUDIO runtime permission is subject to while-in-use restrictions. For this reason, you cannot create a microphone foreground service while your app is in the background, with a few exceptions. For more information, see Restrictions on starting foreground services that need while-in-use permissions.

Description

Continue microphone capture from the background, such as voice recorders or communication apps.

Phone call

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

phoneCall

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_PHONE_CALL

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_PHONE_CALL

Runtime prerequisites

At least one of these conditions must be true:

• App has declared the MANAGE_OWN_CALLS permission in its manifest file.

• App is the default dialer app through the ROLE_DIALER role.

Description

Continue an ongoing call using the ConnectionService APIs.

Alternatives

If you need to make phone, video, or VoIP calls, consider using the android.telecom library.

Consider using CallScreeningService to screen calls.

Remote messaging

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

remoteMessaging

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_REMOTE_MESSAGING

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_REMOTE_MESSAGING

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Transfer text messages from one device to another. Assists with continuity of a user's messaging tasks when they switch devices.

Short service

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

shortService

Permission to declare in your manifest

None

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SHORT_SERVICE

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Quickly finish critical work that cannot be interrupted or postponed.

This type has some unique characteristics:

• Can only run for a short period of time (about 3 minutes).
• No support for sticky foreground services.
• Cannot start other foreground services.
• Doesn't require a type-specific permission, though it still requires the FOREGROUND_SERVICE permission.
• A shortService can only change to another service type if the app is currently eligible to start a new foreground service.
• A foreground service can change its type to shortService at any time, at which point the timeout period begins.

The timeout for shortService begins from the moment that Service.startForeground() is called. The app is expected to call Service.stopSelf() or Service.stopForeground() before the timeout occurs. Otherwise, the new Service.onTimeout() is called, giving apps a brief opportunity to call stopSelf() or stopForeground() to stop their service.

A short time after Service.onTimeout() is called, the app enters a cached state and is no longer considered to be in the foreground, unless the user is actively interacting with the app. A short time after the app is cached and the service has not stopped, the app receives an ANR. The ANR message mentions FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SHORT_SERVICE. For these reasons, it's considered best practice to implement the Service.onTimeout() callback.

The Service.onTimeout() callback doesn't exist on Android 13 and lower. If the same service runs on such devices, it doesn't receive a timeout, nor does it ANR. Make sure that your service stops as soon as it finishes the processing task, even if it hasn't received the Service.onTimeout() callback yet.

It's important to note that if the timeout of the shortService is not respected, the app will ANR even if it has other valid foreground services or other app lifecycle processes running.

If an app is visible to the user or satisfies one of the exemptions that allow foreground services to be started from the background, calling Service.StartForeground() again with the FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SHORT_SERVICE parameter extends the timeout by another 3 minutes. If the app isn't visible to the user and doesn't satisfy one of the exemptions, any attempt to start another foreground service, regardless of type, causes a ForegroundServiceStartNotAllowedException.

If a user disables battery optimization for your app, it's still affected by the timeout of shortService FGS.

If you start a foreground service that includes the shortService type and another foreground service type, the system ignores the shortService type declaration. However, the service must still adhere to the prerequisites of the other declared types. For more information, see the Foreground services documentation.

Special use

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

specialUse

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SPECIAL_USE

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Covers any valid foreground service use cases that aren't covered by the other foreground service types.

In addition to declaring the FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SPECIAL_USE foreground service type, developers should declare use cases in the manifest. To do so, they specify the <property> element within the <service> element. These values and corresponding use cases are reviewed when you submit your app in the Google Play Console. The use cases you provide are free-form, and you should make sure to provide enough information to let the reviewer see why you need to use the specialUse type.

<service android:name="fooService" android:foregroundServiceType="specialUse">
  <property android:name="android.app.PROPERTY_SPECIAL_USE_FGS_SUBTYPE"
      android:value="explanation_for_special_use"/>
</service>

System exempted

Foreground service type to declare in manifest under

android:foregroundServiceType

systemExempted

Permission to declare in your manifest

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SYSTEM_EXEMPTED

Constant to pass to startForeground()

FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SYSTEM_EXEMPTED

Runtime prerequisites

None

Description

Reserved for system applications and specific system integrations, to continue to use foreground services.

To use this type, an app must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Device is in demo mode state
• App is a Device Owner
• App is a Profiler Owner
• Safety Apps that have the ROLE_EMERGENCY role
• Device Admin apps
• Apps holding SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM or USE_EXACT_ALARM permission

• VPN apps (configured using Settings > Network & Internet > VPN)

  Otherwise, declaring this type causes the system to throw a ForegroundServiceTypeNotAllowedException.

Google Play policy enforcement for using foreground service types

If your app targets Android 14 or higher, you'll need to declare your app's foreground service types in the Play Console's app content page (Policy > App content). For more information on how to declare your foreground service types in Play Console, see Understanding foreground service and full-screen intent requirements.