[Question] Will glyphs work if my app has an API key but it is in the background?

[ako256]

Hello, I am planning to make a music player app that will show the song progress on the charging glyph (! one) and I want to know if a background (or foreground) process can show glyphs. Thanks in advance!

[JayKay135]

Only foreground applications are allowed to be used.

This should answer your question.
I've been experiencing a few issues with this limitation for my own app.
Glyphs keep staying on when the app is closed to run in the background.
When the app is then closed from the background state the glyphs wont turn off anymore.
Users either have to fully restart their phone or restart the app to properly close it directly afterwards.

[JayKay135]

So for your app: Users must always keep their phone unlocked and your app running in the foreground. Otherwise you wont be able to trigger the glyph interface.

[ako256]

So for your app: Users must always keep their phone unlocked and your app running in the foreground. Otherwise you wont be able to trigger the glyph interface.

Wow, how did this get released as an actual api like what use case would someone even implement this for. They should make it so that apps can get permission to control glyphs from background processes as well.

I was trying to make an app that would 'parse' progress notifications and show it on glyphs. I guess my idea is dead before even starting.

Thanks for the reply btw!

[JayKay135]

You're welcome.

And yes I am totally on your side.

You can still create your app and hope that Nothing will add support for background calls in the future.
I guess this is probably the main reason why we don't see so many published apps using the glyph interface.

[ako256]

Eh I think I'll pass for now, I need a working project for my resume and such a limited project would probably be laughed at by recruiters lol

[ako256]

Hopefully nothing opens up this api completely. Users are not dumb, they can decide which apps they'd like on the glyphs.

This api key system is only hurting them in the long run as glyphs current don't have a good ecosystem.

[nouman0103]

@JayKay135 You can create a Service to keep it running in the backgorund, and it does work as far as I have tested.

[JayKay135]

@nouman0103 Are you sure that you can change the glyphs through a background service? I've tried it multiple times and it always failed. The repo also states at the beginning that only foreground services work. What happens unfortunately quite often is, that active glyphs stay on when the application is closed.

[nouman0103]

@JayKay135 They do work. Even if you close the app from the app history gesture. I have set the battery restriction to Unrestricted, and if I go in the developer settings > running services, it shows in there.
Though im facing an issue in general where the essential notifications do not work when the glyph manager session is active. #14

[JayKay135]

@nouman0103 Oh that's quite surprising then. Could you share a bit more details on how you've created your service?

[nouman0103]

@JayKay135

public class GlyphService extends Service {
     ...
     @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        ...
    }
    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        if (intent != null) {
            String action = intent.getAction();
            // use action to check which function to call etc
        }
        return START_STICKY;
    }
    ...
}

In MainActivity:

Intent serviceIntent = new Intent(this, GlyphService.class);
startService(serviceIntent);

in AndroidManifest.xml:

<service android:name=".GlyphService" android:exported="false" />

[JayKay135]

@nouman0103 Thank you very much. I will check it out tomorrow. It's currently late at night at my timezone

[nouman0103]

@nouman0103 Thank you very much. I will check it out tomorrow. It's currently late at night at my timezone

Do let me know how it works out for you.

[JayKay135]

@nouman0103 Sorry for the delayed response, I had to test a few things. And you are absolutely right. Nothing must have changed something in one of their latest OS versions. As I am quite sure, that background calls did not work when the glyph API was first released.

However, I am still experiencing the same issue when trying to turn off all glyps when the service is destroyed.
Do you get the same problem? I'm using Nothings provided code here:

override fun onDestroy() {
    try {
        mGM?.turnOff()
        mGM?.closeSession()
    } catch (e: GlyphException) {
        Log.e(TAG, e.message);
    }
    mGM?.unInit()
    super.onDestroy()
}

Even with the additional turnOff() glyphs stay on.

[nouman0103]

@nouman0103 Sorry for the delayed response, I had to test a few things. And you are absolutely right. Nothing must have changed something in one of their latest OS versions. As I am quite sure, that background calls did not work when the glyph API was first released.

However, I am still experiencing the same issue when trying to turn off all glyps when the service is destroyed. Do you get the same problem? I'm using Nothings provided code here:

override fun onDestroy() {
    try {
        mGM?.turnOff()
        mGM?.closeSession()
    } catch (e: GlyphException) {
        Log.e(TAG, e.message);
    }
    mGM?.unInit()
    super.onDestroy()
}

Even with the additional turnOff() glyphs stay on.

I dont face this issue at all. Try debugging to see if the function is even being called or not.