Implicit broadcast exceptions

As part of the Android 8.0 (API level 26) background execution limits, apps that target the API level 26 or higher can't register broadcast receivers for implicit broadcasts in their manifest unless the broadcast is sent specifically to them. However, several broadcasts are exempted from these limitations. Apps can continue to register listeners for the following broadcasts, no matter what API level the apps target.

ACTION_LOCKED_BOOT_COMPLETED, ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED

Exempted because these broadcasts are sent only once, at first boot, and many apps need to receive these broadcasts, such as to schedule jobs and alarms.

ACTION_USER_INITIALIZE, android.intent.action.USER_ADDED, android.intent.action.USER_REMOVED

Privileged permissions protect these broadcasts, so most normal apps can't receive them anyway.

android.intent.action.TIME_SET, ACTION_TIMEZONE_CHANGED, ACTION_NEXT_ALARM_CLOCK_CHANGED

Clock apps might need to receive these broadcasts to update alarms when the time, timezone, or alarms change.

ACTION_LOCALE_CHANGED

Only sent when the locale changes, which is not often. Apps might need to update their data when the locale changes.

ACTION_USB_ACCESSORY_ATTACHED, ACTION_USB_ACCESSORY_DETACHED, ACTION_USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED, ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED

When an app needs to know about these USB-related events, there is no good alternative to registering for the broadcast.

BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED, BluetoothA2dp.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED, ACTION_ACL_CONNECTED, ACTION_ACL_DISCONNECTED

User experience is not likely to suffer if apps receive broadcasts for these Bluetooth events.

ACTION_CARRIER_CONFIG_CHANGED, TelephonyIntents.ACTION_*_SUBSCRIPTION_CHANGED, TelephonyIntents.SECRET_CODE_ACTION, ACTION_PHONE_STATE_CHANGED, ACTION_PHONE_ACCOUNT_REGISTERED, ACTION_PHONE_ACCOUNT_UNREGISTERED

OEM telephony apps might need to receive these broadcasts.

LOGIN_ACCOUNTS_CHANGED_ACTION

Some apps need to know about changes to login accounts so they can set up scheduled operations for the new and changed accounts.

ACTION_ACCOUNT_REMOVED

Apps that have visibility into an account receive this broadcast when the account is removed. If this is the only account change that the app needs to act on, we recommend that the app use this broadcast instead of the deprecated LOGIN_ACCOUNTS_CHANGED_ACTION.

ACTION_PACKAGE_DATA_CLEARED

Only sent when the user explicitly clears their data from Settings, so broadcast receivers are unlikely to significantly affect user experience.

ACTION_PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED

Some apps need to update their stored data when another package is removed. For those apps, there is no good alternative to registering for this broadcast.

Note: Other package-related broadcasts (such as ACTION_PACKAGE_REPLACED) are not exempted from the background execution restrictions. These broadcasts are common enough that there is a potential performance impact to exempting them.

ACTION_NEW_OUTGOING_CALL

Apps that take action in response to users placing calls need to receive this broadcast.

ACTION_DEVICE_OWNER_CHANGED

This broadcast is not sent very often. Some apps need to receive it, so that they know that the device's security status changed.

ACTION_EVENT_REMINDER

Sent by the calendar provider to post an event reminder to the calendar app. Since the calendar provider doesn't know what the calendar app is, this broadcast must be implicit.

ACTION_MEDIA_MOUNTED, ACTION_MEDIA_CHECKING, ACTION_MEDIA_UNMOUNTED, ACTION_MEDIA_EJECT, ACTION_MEDIA_UNMOUNTABLE, ACTION_MEDIA_REMOVED, ACTION_MEDIA_BAD_REMOVAL

These broadcasts are sent as a result of the user's physical interactions with the device, like installing or removing storage volumes, or as part of boot initialization, as available volumes get mounted. They aren't a common occurrence, and are usually under the user’s control.

SMS_RECEIVED_ACTION, WAP_PUSH_RECEIVED_ACTION

SMS recipient apps rely on these broadcasts.