How can I achieve the "wake up screen and go to Activity" behavior of the Android alarm clock app?

Question

If I set a timer in the default Android clock app, then it has the following behavior when the time runs out:

1. If the phone is unlocked, a pop-up comes up allowing you to stop the alarm or navigate back to the app.
2. If the phone is locked (including if the screen is off), the screen turns on and you're taken to a special Activity to stop the alarm.

What is the best way to reproduce both of these behaviors in my own app? I've been copy-pasting various magical incantations involving AlarmManager for the second, but nothing is working. None of the questions that have come up when Googling things like "bring Activity to front" or "wake up phone" seem to be what I need.

Answer 1

This can't be done, and it's by design. There are 2 separate problems, and they're both impossible to implement.

1. Google has progressively disabled the ability to launch activities without user interaction in all recent API versions. They also disabled "springboard" behavior, where background services and/or receivers try to start activities from the background. You're supposed to use notifications to let the user know what you're trying to do, and when they interact with that notification, then your activity can be launched
2. There is absolutely no app, unless you have a custom ROM or a rooted phone, that can bypass the lock screen. It's a security issue, and the idea is the same as in the previous case -- you need to notify the user, and if they interact with the notification, they can be prompted to unlock their phone and your activity will launch