This is my very first post here, so please don't blame me if I'm not as complete and clear as I have to be.
The issue
I am new to React native and I recently began to develop a react native app which could read my incoming SMS's aloud. I already achieved to retrieve the incoming messages and to read them aloud... But only if the app is the foreground.
So, could you please advise me some libraries or tutorials on the subject ?
I'm working on a Nokia 5 with Android 9.
I currently use the following libraries :
- React-native-android-sms-listener to retrieve the incoming messages.
- React-native-tts to read the content aloud.
What I already tried
I'm searching the Internet for more than a week now (includig Stack Overflow and this example question) and I can't find what I'm looking for. I already tried React-native-background-timer and React-native-background-job. But I couldn't never get a background timer working and React-native-background-job allows tasks to be executed every 15 minutes only (due to the Android limitations).
So I read many articles like this one explaining how to use Headless JS and other libraries until I found this codeburst tutorial today, explaining how to develop a background service to record audio calls. I tried to adapt it, but the background service never starts.
My code
I must tell you that I don't have any knowledge in Java, so the native code below may contain mistakes, even if it is based on tutorials and the React native documentation.
Currently, when the app is launched, the service IncomingSMSService is called. This service, developed following the Codeburst tutorial referenced above, relies on Headless JS and a JS function that listen to the incoming messages and then read them aloud thanks to React-native-tts.
Here is these two files :
IncomingSMSService.java
package com.ava.service;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import com.facebook.react.HeadlessJsTaskService;
import com.facebook.react.bridge.Arguments;
import com.facebook.react.jstasks.HeadlessJsTaskConfig;
public class IncomingSMSService extends HeadlessJsTaskService {
@Override
protected HeadlessJsTaskConfig getTaskConfig(Intent intent) {
Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
if (extras != null) {
return new HeadlessJsTaskConfig(
"HandleIncomingSMS",
Arguments.fromBundle(extras),
5000,
true
);
}
return null;
}
}
HandleIncomingSMS.js
import { AppRegistry } from 'react-native';
import SmsListener from 'react-native-android-sms-listener';
import Tts from 'react-native-tts';
const HandleIncomingSMS = async (taskData) => {
SmsListener.addListener(message => {
Tts.getInitStatus().then(() => {
Tts.speak(`New message from number ${message.originatingAddress} : ${message.body}`);
});
});
}
AppRegistry.registerHeadlessTask('HandleIncomingSMS', () => HandleIncomingSMS));
These pieces of code are called in a BroadcastReceiver here (IncomingSMSReceiver.java) :
package com.ava.receiver;
import android.app.ActivityManager;
import android.app.ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo;
import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import com.ava.service.IncomingSMSService;
import com.facebook.react.HeadlessJsTaskService;
import java.util.List;
public final class IncomingSMSReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
@Override
public final void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
if (!isAppOnForeground((context))) {
Intent service = new Intent(context, IncomingSMSService.class);
context.startService(service);
HeadlessJsTaskService.acquireWakeLockNow(context);
}
}
private boolean isAppOnForeground(Context context) {
ActivityManager activityManager = (ActivityManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
List<ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo> appProcesses =
activityManager.getRunningAppProcesses();
if (appProcesses == null) {
return false;
}
final String packageName = context.getPackageName();
for (ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo appProcess : appProcesses) {
if (appProcess.importance ==
ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo.IMPORTANCE_FOREGROUND &&
appProcess.processName.equals(packageName)) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
}
I also requested the good permissions in my AndroidManifest file, and I registered the service like so :
<service
android:name="com.ava.service.IncomingSMSService"
android:enabled="true"
android:label="IncomingSMSService"
/>
<receiver android:name="com.ava.receiver.IncomingSMSReceiver">
<intent-filter android:priority="0">
<action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED"/>
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
What am I doing wrong ? I don't even see service in the Running services tab of the Android Developer options... Any ideas ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
UPDATE (01/06/2019)
After reading or watching several tutorials like this one or this video, I managed to get my app working in the foreground. It now displays a persistent notification.
BUT, I don't know how I can "link" my service and my Broadcsat Receiver to this notification (for now, the service is called only if the app is in foreground).
Here is my updated code :
// IncomingSMSService
package com.ava.service;
import android.graphics.Color;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.ContextWrapper;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.NotificationChannel;
import android.app.NotificationManager;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.support.v4.app.NotificationCompat;
import com.facebook.react.HeadlessJsTaskService;
import com.ava.MainActivity;
import com.ava.R;
public class IncomingSMSService extends Service {
private NotificationManager notifManager;
private String CHANNEL_ID = "47";
private int SERVICE_NOTIFICATION_ID = 47;
private Handler handler = new Handler();
private Runnable runnableCode = new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
Context context = getApplicationContext();
Intent myIntent = new Intent(context, IncomingSMSEventService.class);
context.startService(myIntent);
HeadlessJsTaskService.acquireWakeLockNow(context);
handler.postDelayed(this, 2000);
}
};
@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return null;
}
@Override
public void onCreate() {
super.onCreate();
createNotificationChannel();
}
@Override
public void onDestroy() {
super.onDestroy();
}
public void createNotificationChannel() {
NotificationChannel notificationChannel = new NotificationChannel(CHANNEL_ID, "General", notifManager.IMPORTANCE_HIGH);
notificationChannel.enableLights(true);
notificationChannel.setLightColor(Color.RED);
notificationChannel.setShowBadge(true);
notificationChannel.setLockscreenVisibility(Notification.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC);
getManager().createNotificationChannel(notificationChannel);
}
@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
this.handler.post(this.runnableCode);
Intent notificationIntent = new Intent(this, MainActivity.class);
PendingIntent contentIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, notificationIntent, 0);
Notification notification = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this, CHANNEL_ID)
.setContentTitle("Ava")
.setContentText("Listening for new messages...")
.setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_launcher_round)
.setContentIntent(contentIntent)
.setOngoing(true)
.build();
startForeground(SERVICE_NOTIFICATION_ID, notification);
return START_NOT_STICKY;
}
private NotificationManager getManager() {
if (notifManager == null) {
notifManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
}
return notifManager;
}
}
My headlessJS task :
// HandleIncomingSMS.js
import SmsListener from 'react-native-android-sms-listener';
import Tts from 'react-native-tts';
import Contacts from 'react-native-contacts';
import { text } from 'react-native-communications';
module.exports = async () => {
// To lower other applications' sounds
Tts.setDucking(true);
// Prevent the TTS engine from repeating messages multiple times
Tts.addEventListener('tts-finish', (event) => Tts.stop());
SmsListener.addListener(message => {
Contacts.getAll((err, contacts) => {
if (err) throw err;
const contactsLoop = () => {
contacts.forEach((contact, index, contacts) => {
// Search only for mobile numbers
if (contact.phoneNumbers[0].label === 'mobile') {
// Format the contact number to be compared with the message.oritignatingAddress variable
let contactNumber = contact.phoneNumbers[0].number.replace(/^00/, '+');
contactNumber = contactNumber.replace(/[\s-]/g, '');
// Phone numbers comparison
if (contactNumber === message.originatingAddress) {
if (contact.familyName !== null) {
Tts.speak(`Nouveau message de ${contact.givenName} ${contact.familyName} : ${message.body}`);
} else {
// If the contact doesn't have a known family name, just say his first name
Tts.speak(`Nouveau message de ${contact.givenName} : ${message.body}`);
}
} else if (contactNumber !== message.originatingAddress && index === contacts.length) {
// If the number isn't recognized and if the contacts have been all checked, just say the phone number
Tts.speak(`Nouveau message du numéro ${message.originatingAddress} : ${message.body}`);
}
}
});
}
contactsLoop();
// Redirect to the SMS app
text(message.originatingAddress, message = false);
});
});
}
I also added the good permissions in my AndroidManifest.xml file like the following :
...
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK"/>
...
I made some progress but I am still stuck, so if you have any idea, please share them ! Thank you !
