DevTut

# AlarmManager

# How to Cancel an Alarm

If you want to cancel an alarm, and you don't have a reference to the original PendingIntent used to set the alarm, you need to recreate a PendingIntent exactly as it was when it was originally created.

An Intent is considered equal by the AlarmManager (opens new window):

if their action, data, type, class, and categories are the same. This does not compare any extra data included in the intents.

Usually the request code for each alarm is defined as a constant:

public static final int requestCode = 9999;

So, for a simple alarm set up like this:

Intent intent  = new Intent(this, AlarmReceiver.class);
intent.setAction("SomeAction");
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, requestCode, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
AlarmManager alarmManager = (AlarmManager)getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
alarmManager.setExact(AlarmManager.RTC_WAKEUP, targetTimeInMillis, pendingIntent);

Here is how you would create a new PendingIntent reference that you can use to cancel the alarm with a new AlarmManager reference:

Intent intent  = new Intent(this, AlarmReceiver.class);
intent.setAction("SomeAction");
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, requestCode, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_NO_CREATE);
AlarmManager alarmManager = (AlarmManager)getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
if(pendingIntent != null) {
    alarmManager.cancel(pendingIntent);
}

# Creating exact alarms on all Android versions

With more and more battery optimizations being put into the Android system over time, the methods of the AlarmManager have also significantly changed (to allow for more lenient timing). However, for some applications it is still required to be as exact as possible on all Android versions. The following helper uses the most accurate method available on all platforms to schedule a PendingIntent:

public static void setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(AlarmManager alarmManager, int type, long triggerAtMillis, PendingIntent operation) {
    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M){
        alarmManager.setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(type, triggerAtMillis, operation);
    } else if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT){
        alarmManager.setExact(type, triggerAtMillis, operation);
    } else {
        alarmManager.set(type, triggerAtMillis, operation);
    }
}

# API23+ Doze mode interferes with AlarmManager

Android 6 (API23) introduced Doze mode which interferes with AlarmManager. It uses certain maintenance windows to handle alarms, so even if you used setExactAndAllowWhileIdle() you cannot make sure that your alarm fires at the desired point of time.

You can turn this behavior off for your app using your phone's settings (Settings/General/Battery & power saving/Battery usage/Ignore optimizations or similar)

Inside your app you can check this setting ...

String packageName = getPackageName();
PowerManager pm = (PowerManager) getSystemService(Context.POWER_SERVICE);
if (pm.isIgnoringBatteryOptimizations(packageName)) {
   // your app is ignoring Doze battery optimization
}

... and eventually show the respective settings dialog:

Intent intent = new Intent();
String packageName = getPackageName();
PowerManager pm = (PowerManager) getSystemService(Context.POWER_SERVICE);
intent.setAction(Settings.ACTION_REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS);
intent.setData(Uri.parse("package:" + packageName));
startActivity(intent);

# Run an intent at a later time

  1. Create a receiver. This class will receive the intent and handle it how you wish.
public class AlarmReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver
{
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
    {
        // Handle intent
        int reqCode = intent.getExtras().getInt("requestCode");
        ...
    }
}
  1. Give an intent to AlarmManager. This example will trigger the intent to be sent to AlarmReceiver after 1 minute.
final int requestCode = 1337;
AlarmManager am = (AlarmManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
Intent intent = new Intent(context, AlarmReceiver.class);
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, requestCode, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
am.set( AlarmManager.RTC_WAKEUP, System.currentTimeMillis() + 60000 , pendingIntent );

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