How to make application icon hidden from home screen

Question

Requirement of the project is as per following. App has only task to run a background service and sync data with server OR upload some information to server May be some notification as well. So what i want to do is to make this application invisible programmatically from deployment. Anybody have clue please share with me. Perhaps it will be shown in Application manager but shouldn't be at home screen.

package com.example.drawpicdemo;

import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.List;

import android.app.ActionBar.LayoutParams; import android.app.Activity; import android.content.pm.PackageManager; import android.graphics.Color; import android.os.Bundle; import android.view.Menu; import android.view.MenuItem; import android.view.MotionEvent; import android.view.View; import android.view.View.OnClickListener; import android.view.View.OnTouchListener; import android.widget.AdapterView; import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener; import android.widget.ArrayAdapter; import android.widget.Button; import android.widget.EditText; import android.widget.RelativeLayout; import android.widget.Spinner;

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements OnClickListener{

Button red, green, blue, yellow, black;
int color = Color.RED;
DrawPictureView view;
public int StdStrokeWidth = 5;
Button EraseBtn, AddTextbtn;
Spinner sizespinner;
RelativeLayout parentlaLayout;
int dx, dy;

String textValue = "";
int lefttext = 0;
int toptext = 0;
int righttext = 0;
int bootomtext = 0;


public MainActivity() {
    // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
    System.out.println("1111111111");
    System.out.println("1111111111");
    System.out.println("1111111111");
    System.out.println("1111111111");
}


@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    text = new EditText(MainActivity.this.getApplicationContext());


    System.out.println("1111111111");

    System.out.println("1111111111");
    //To hide the app icon
    PackageManager p = getPackageManager();
    p.setComponentEnabledSetting(getComponentName(), PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    System.out.println("1111111111");


    parentlaLayout = (RelativeLayout)findViewById(R.id.parentview);

    EraseBtn = (Button)findViewById(R.id.erase);
    AddTextbtn = (Button)findViewById(R.id.addtext);

    EraseBtn.setOnClickListener(this);
    AddTextbtn.setOnClickListener(this);

    red = (Button) findViewById(R.id.red);
    green = (Button)findViewById(R.id.green);
    blue = (Button)findViewById(R.id.blue);
    yellow = (Button)findViewById(R.id.yellow);
    black = (Button)findViewById(R.id.black);

    red.setBackgroundColor(Color.RED);
    green.setBackgroundColor(Color.GREEN);
    blue.setBackgroundColor(Color.BLUE);
    yellow.setBackgroundColor(Color.YELLOW);
    black.setBackgroundColor(Color.BLACK);

    red.setOnClickListener(this);
    green.setOnClickListener(this);
    blue.setOnClickListener(this);
    yellow.setOnClickListener(this);
    black.setOnClickListener(this);

    view = new DrawPictureView(MainActivity.this.getApplicationContext());
    view.setDrawColor(color);
    RelativeLayout parentView = (RelativeLayout)findViewById(R.id.drawview);
    RelativeLayout.LayoutParams lp = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT, LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT);

    parentView.addView(view, lp);

    sizespinner = (Spinner)findViewById(R.id.sizespinner);
    addItemsOnSpinner2();

    sizespinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new OnItemSelectedListener() {

        @Override
        public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> arg0, View arg1,
                int arg2, long arg3) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                sizespinner.getSelectedItem();
                StdStrokeWidth = Integer.parseInt((String)sizespinner.getSelectedItem());
                view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
                //sizespinner.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
                shouldClose = true;

        }

        @Override
        public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> arg0) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub

        }
    });

    text.setOnTouchListener(new OnTouchListener() {

        @Override
        public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                final int X = (int) event.getRawX();
                final int Y = (int) event.getRawY();

                switch (event.getAction() & MotionEvent.ACTION_MASK) {
                    case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:

                        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams lParams = (RelativeLayout.LayoutParams) text.getLayoutParams();
                        dx = X - lParams.leftMargin;
                        dy = Y - lParams.topMargin;
                        break;

                    case MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE:

                        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams layoutParams = (RelativeLayout.LayoutParams) text.getLayoutParams();
                        layoutParams.leftMargin = X - dx;
                        layoutParams.topMargin = Y - dy;
                        layoutParams.rightMargin = -250;
                        layoutParams.bottomMargin = -250;
                        text.setLayoutParams(layoutParams);

                        lefttext = layoutParams.leftMargin;
                        toptext = layoutParams.topMargin;
                        righttext = layoutParams.rightMargin;
                        bootomtext = layoutParams.bottomMargin;

                        textValue = text.getText().toString();

                        break;
                }
            return false;
        }
    });

    text.setFocusable(true);

    RelativeLayout.LayoutParams lptext = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
    parentlaLayout.addView(text, lptext);
    text.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);


}

boolean shouldClose = false;

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
    getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);
    return true;
}

@Override
public boolean onMenuItemSelected(int featureId, MenuItem item) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     switch (item.getItemId()) {
       case R.id.action_settings:
           shouldClose = false;
                addItemsOnSpinner2();
            break;

            default:
             break;
         }
        return super.onMenuItemSelected(featureId, item);
      }

      // add items into spinner dynamically
      public void addItemsOnSpinner2() {
        List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();

        for (int i = 8; i < 48; i++) {
            list.add(Integer.toString(i));
        }

        ArrayAdapter<String> dataAdapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,
            android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, list);
        dataAdapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
        sizespinner.setAdapter(dataAdapter);
        sizespinner.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
  }

@Override
public void onClick(View v) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    switch (v.getId()) {
    case R.id.red:
        color = Color.RED;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
        break;
    case R.id.blue:
        color = Color.BLUE;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
        break;

    case R.id.green:
        color = Color.GREEN;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
        break;

    case R.id.yellow:
        color = Color.YELLOW;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
        break;

    case R.id.black:
        color = Color.BLACK;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth);
        break;
    case R.id.erase:
        color = Color.WHITE;
        view.setDrawColor(color);
        view.setStrokeWidth(StdStrokeWidth + 50);
        break;
    case R.id.addtext:

        if(AddTextbtn.getText().toString().equals("Add text"))
        {
            text.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            text.setHint("Add text here");
            AddTextbtn.setText("Done");
        }else
        {
            text.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
            AddTextbtn.setText("Add text");

            int []pos = new int[]{lefttext, toptext, righttext, bootomtext};
            view.setTextPosition(pos, textValue);
        }

        break;
    default:
        break;
    }
}

EditText text ;

}

you have to hide app icon.. if you remove category intent filter from manifest file then it will not display on home screen — PankajAndroid, Sep 27 '13 at 04:52
@AndroidDev Will application working fine in this case. like background services, Will it be invoked? — Suresh Sharma, Sep 27 '13 at 04:58

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 27 '13 at 04:59

1

Put below code for the same, Launcher icon will not be visible.

PackageManager p = getPackageManager();
        p.setComponentEnabledSetting(getComponentName(), PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

Put above code into your Home Screen's onCreate() method.

answered Sep 27 '13 at 04:59

Pratik Dasa

7,439
4
30
44

I removed intent filter and have written this code in startup activity . Yes icon is removed but it looks like function is no working even i tried to print some console s.o.p.l. statement but not being shown in Console. – Suresh Sharma Sep 27 '13 at 06:36
Have you started your service properly?? Please post your code here. and accept the answer so others find this useful. – Pratik Dasa Sep 27 '13 at 07:07
No, For demo i didn't create any service but just the activity and written some System Logs but nothing is being displayed in console. – Suresh Sharma Sep 27 '13 at 09:45
Post your sample code. – Pratik Dasa Sep 27 '13 at 10:20
Please have a look over code i updated my question. – Suresh Sharma Sep 27 '13 at 10:47

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 27 '13 at 05:01

0

Remove following line from MainActivity of Manifest File,,

 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />

answered Sep 27 '13 at 05:01

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 27 '13 at 05:31

You can try something this :

<application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <service
            android:name=".AidlService"
            android:process=":remote" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.remote.service.SERVER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </service>
    </application>

How to make application icon hidden from home screen

3 Answers3