Media browser service lifecycle
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This section describes how Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and Android Auto
interact with your media browser service during a typical user workflow:
The user launches your app on AAOS or Android Auto.
The host app binds to your media browser service, which the OS starts if it
isn't already running. In your implementation of the onCreate() method,
you must create and register a MediaSessionCompat object and its
callback object. To learn more, see Register a media session.
AAOS or Android Auto calls your service's onGetRoot method to
retrieve the root in your content hierarchy. The root is not displayed.
Instead, it retrieves more content from your app in subsequent steps.
AAOS or Android Auto calls your service's onLoadChildren() method to
retrieve the descendants of the root media item. AAOS and Android Auto
display these media items as the top level of content items. See
Structure the root menu to learn more about what the system expects.
When the user selects a browsable media item, your service's
onLoadChildren() method is called again.
If the user selects a playable media item, AAOS or Android Auto calls
the appropriate media session callback method to perform the action.
If supported by your app, the user can also search your content. In this
case, AAOS or Android Auto call your service's onSearch() method.
To learn more, see Display browsable search results.
Content and code samples on this page are subject to the licenses described in the Content License. Java and OpenJDK are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2025-08-12 UTC.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-12 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Media browser service lifecycle\n\nThis section describes how Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and Android Auto\ninteract with your media browser service during a typical user workflow:\n\n1. The user launches your app on AAOS or Android Auto.\n\n2. The host app binds to your media browser service, which the OS starts if it\n isn't already running. In your implementation of the `onCreate()` method,\n you must create and register a [`MediaSessionCompat`](/reference/android/support/v4/media/session/MediaSessionCompat) object and its\n callback object. To learn more, see [Register a media session](/training/cars/media/enable-playback#registering_mediasession).\n\n3. AAOS or Android Auto calls your service's [`onGetRoot`](/training/cars/media/content-hierarchy#onGetRoot) method to\n retrieve the root in your content hierarchy. The root is not displayed.\n Instead, it retrieves more content from your app in subsequent steps.\n\n4. AAOS or Android Auto calls your service's [`onLoadChildren()`](/reference/androidx/media/MediaBrowserServiceCompat#onLoadChildren(java.lang.String,androidx.media.MediaBrowserServiceCompat.Result%3Cjava.util.List%3Candroid.support.v4.media.MediaBrowserCompat.MediaItem%3E%3E)%5D) method to\n retrieve the descendants of the root media item. AAOS and Android Auto\n display these media items as the top level of content items. See\n [Structure the root menu](/training/cars/media/content-media-browser/content-hierarchy#root-menu-structure) to learn more about what the system expects.\n\n5. When the user selects a **browsable** media item, your service's\n `onLoadChildren()` method is called again.\n\n6. If the user selects a **playable** media item, AAOS or Android Auto calls\n the appropriate media session callback method to perform the action.\n\n7. If supported by your app, the user can also search your content. In this\n case, AAOS or Android Auto call your service's [`onSearch()`](/reference/androidx/media/MediaBrowserServiceCompat#onSearch(java.lang.String,android.os.Bundle,androidx.media.MediaBrowserServiceCompat.Result%3Cjava.util.List%3Candroid.support.v4.media.MediaBrowserCompat.MediaItem%3E%3E)) method.\n To learn more, see [Display browsable search results](/training/cars/media/create-media-browser/browsable-search)."]]
