How to keep GPS / location service on android always on?

Question

How to keep GPS / location service on android always on?

If there is code to implement this or any available app on playstore ?

I need to track my employees when they are in delivery routes.

Answer 1

I did something like that before. here is the location service :

public class LocationService extends Service {
    public static final String BROADCAST_ACTION = "Hello World";
    private static final int TWO_MINUTES = 1000 * 60 * 2;
    public LocationManager locationManager;
    public MyLocationListener listener;
    public Location previousBestLocation = null;

    public long refreshTime = 60*1000;

    Intent intent;
    int counter = 0;

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        intent = new Intent(BROADCAST_ACTION);
    }

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        locationManager = (LocationManager) getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
        listener = new MyLocationListener();
        if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            // TODO: Consider calling
            //    ActivityCompat#requestPermissions
            // here to request the missing permissions, and then overriding
            //   public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, String[] permissions,
            //                                          int[] grantResults)
            // to handle the case where the user grants the permission. See the documentation
            // for ActivityCompat#requestPermissions for more details.
            return START_STICKY;
        }
        locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, refreshTime, 100, listener);
        locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, refreshTime, 100, listener);

        return START_STICKY;
    }
//    @Override
//    public void onStart(Intent intent, int startId) {
//        }

    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        return null;
    }

    protected boolean isBetterLocation(Location location, Location currentBestLocation) {
        if (currentBestLocation == null) {
            // A new location is always better than no location
            return true;
        }

        // Check whether the new location fix is newer or older
        long timeDelta = location.getTime() - currentBestLocation.getTime();
        boolean isSignificantlyNewer = timeDelta > TWO_MINUTES;
        boolean isSignificantlyOlder = timeDelta < -TWO_MINUTES;
        boolean isNewer = timeDelta > 0;

        // If it's been more than two minutes since the current location, use the new location
        // because the user has likely moved
        if (isSignificantlyNewer) {
            return true;
            // If the new location is more than two minutes older, it must be worse
        } else if (isSignificantlyOlder) {
            return false;
        }

        // Check whether the new location fix is more or less accurate
        int accuracyDelta = (int) (location.getAccuracy() - currentBestLocation.getAccuracy());
        boolean isLessAccurate = accuracyDelta > 0;
        boolean isMoreAccurate = accuracyDelta < 0;
        boolean isSignificantlyLessAccurate = accuracyDelta > 200;

        // Check if the old and new location are from the same provider
        boolean isFromSameProvider = isSameProvider(location.getProvider(),
                currentBestLocation.getProvider());

        // Determine location quality using a combination of timeliness and accuracy
        if (isMoreAccurate) {
            return true;
        } else if (isNewer && !isLessAccurate) {
            return true;
        } else if (isNewer && !isSignificantlyLessAccurate && isFromSameProvider) {
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }


    /** Checks whether two providers are the same */
    private boolean isSameProvider(String provider1, String provider2) {
        if (provider1 == null) {
            return provider2 == null;
        }
        return provider1.equals(provider2);
    }


    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        // handler.removeCallbacks(sendUpdatesToUI);
        super.onDestroy();
        Log.i("STOP_SERVICE", "DONE");
        if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            // TODO: Consider calling
            //    ActivityCompat#requestPermissions
            // here to request the missing permissions, and then overriding
            //   public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, String[] permissions,
            //                                          int[] grantResults)
            // to handle the case where the user grants the permission. See the documentation
            // for ActivityCompat#requestPermissions for more details.
            return;
        }
        locationManager.removeUpdates(listener);
    }

    public static Thread performOnBackgroundThread(final Runnable runnable) {
        final Thread t = new Thread() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    runnable.run();
                } finally {

                }
            }
        };
        t.start();
        return t;
    }

    public class MyLocationListener implements LocationListener
    {

        public void onLocationChanged(final Location loc)
        {
            Log.i("**************************************", "Location changed");
            if(isBetterLocation(loc, previousBestLocation)) {
                loc.getLatitude();
                loc.getLongitude();
                intent.putExtra("Latitude", loc.getLatitude());
                intent.putExtra("Longitude", loc.getLongitude());
                intent.putExtra("Provider", loc.getProvider());
                sendBroadcast(intent);
                LocationHelper.sendLocation(loc.getLatitude(), loc.getLongitude(),
                 new MyPreferenceManager(App.context).getAuthToken());
                Log.i("b8", "Location : "+ loc.getLatitude() + ":"+ loc.getLongitude());
            }
        }

        public void onProviderDisabled(String provider)
        {
            MyToast.makeText( getApplicationContext(), "Gps Disabled", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT ).show();
        }


        public void onProviderEnabled(String provider)
        {
            MyToast.makeText( getApplicationContext(), "Gps Enabled", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }


        public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras)
        {

        }

    }
}

you need to add this permissions in the manifest

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

another thing you should know is that GC can kill the service whenever thinks there is no enough memory (while app is in background or closed by user ) of course using return START_STICKY; in onStartCommand method cause restart the service but it'll be depends on free memory