Class for detecting and eventing whether an Android app is currently foreground or background (requires API level 14+)

Foreground.java

package com.sjl.util;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.Application;
import android.content.Context;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.util.Log;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;

/**
 * Usage:
 * 
 * 1. Get the Foreground Singleton, passing a Context or Application object unless you
 * are sure that the Singleton has definitely already been initialised elsewhere.
 * 
 * 2.a) Perform a direct, synchronous check: Foreground.isForeground() / .isBackground()
 * 
 * or
 * 
 * 2.b) Register to be notified (useful in Service or other non-UI components):
 * 
 *   Foreground.Listener myListener = new Foreground.Listener(){
 *       public void onBecameForeground(){
 *           // ... whatever you want to do
 *       }
 *       public void onBecameBackground(){
 *           // ... whatever you want to do
 *       }
 *   }
 * 
 *   public void onCreate(){
 *      super.onCreate();
 *      Foreground.get(this).addListener(listener);
 *   }
 * 
 *   public void onDestroy(){
 *      super.onCreate();
 *      Foreground.get(this).removeListener(listener);
 *   }
 */
public class Foreground implements Application.ActivityLifecycleCallbacks {

    public static final long CHECK_DELAY = 500;
    public static final String TAG = Foreground.class.getName();

    public interface Listener {

        public void onBecameForeground();

        public void onBecameBackground();

    }

    private static Foreground instance;

    private boolean foreground = false, paused = true;
    private Handler handler = new Handler();
    private List<Listener> listeners = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<Listener>();
    private Runnable check;

    /**
     * Its not strictly necessary to use this method - _usually_ invoking
     * get with a Context gives us a path to retrieve the Application and
     * initialise, but sometimes (e.g. in test harness) the ApplicationContext
     * is != the Application, and the docs make no guarantees.
     *
     * @param application
     * @return an initialised Foreground instance
     */
    public static Foreground init(Application application){
        if (instance == null) {
            instance = new Foreground();
            application.registerActivityLifecycleCallbacks(instance);
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public static Foreground get(Application application){
        if (instance == null) {
            init(application);
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public static Foreground get(Context ctx){
        if (instance == null) {
            Context appCtx = ctx.getApplicationContext();
            if (appCtx instanceof Application) {
                init((Application)appCtx);
            }
            throw new IllegalStateException(
                "Foreground is not initialised and " +
                "cannot obtain the Application object");
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public static Foreground get(){
        if (instance == null) {
            throw new IllegalStateException(
                "Foreground is not initialised - invoke " +
                "at least once with parameterised init/get");
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public boolean isForeground(){
        return foreground;
    }

    public boolean isBackground(){
        return !foreground;
    }

    public void addListener(Listener listener){
        listeners.add(listener);
    }

    public void removeListener(Listener listener){
        listeners.remove(listener);
    }

    @Override
    public void onActivityResumed(Activity activity) {
        paused = false;
        boolean wasBackground = !foreground;
        foreground = true;

        if (check != null)
            handler.removeCallbacks(check);

        if (wasBackground){
            Log.i(TAG, "went foreground");
            for (Listener l : listeners) {
                try {
                    l.onBecameForeground();
                } catch (Exception exc) {
                    Log.e(TAG, "Listener threw exception!", exc);
                }
            }
        } else {
            Log.i(TAG, "still foreground");
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onActivityPaused(Activity activity) {
        paused = true;

        if (check != null)
            handler.removeCallbacks(check);

        handler.postDelayed(check = new Runnable(){
            @Override
            public void run() {
                if (foreground && paused) {
                    foreground = false;
                    Log.i(TAG, "went background");
                    for (Listener l : listeners) {
                        try {
                            l.onBecameBackground();
                        } catch (Exception exc) {
                            Log.e(TAG, "Listener threw exception!", exc);
                        }
                    }
                } else {
                    Log.i(TAG, "still foreground");
                }
            }
        }, CHECK_DELAY);
    }

    @Override
    public void onActivityCreated(Activity activity, Bundle savedInstanceState) {}

    @Override
    public void onActivityStarted(Activity activity) {}

    @Override
    public void onActivityStopped(Activity activity) {}

    @Override
    public void onActivitySaveInstanceState(Activity activity, Bundle outState) {}

    @Override
    public void onActivityDestroyed(Activity activity) {}
}

@steveliles I leave this commit here because GitHub gist cannot send pull request.
Please check it out, thanks.

How to implement it in my app

Really useful. Thank you!

@Ankita1405

1. download that file and add your project.
2. create Application class see here
3. insert Foreground.init(this); to onCreate() of Application class
4. call Foreground.get().isForeground() where you want.

You have to change private boolean foreground = false, paused = true; to private boolean foreground = true, paused = false;,
otherwise this wont work first time after you open app and put it to background.

Good job, mate! Thank you!

Good job. Thanks!

Doesn't work for hybrid applications such: Cordova, Unity, Nativescript, react Native

Thank you for you hard work. I had a nightmare trying to flag when I went Background to Foreground with crashes on resume with fragments.
This helps massively.

good , thanks

🙌

Fantastic

thanks a lot

@steveliles Thanks a lot! I have a question, If I use this source code in my commercial application then, Is there any license like a MIT, Apache something? Plz, let me know :)

I think we have some issues, When I request Permissions on my device, it's onBecameForeground and onBecameBackground

public class App extends Application implements Foreground.Listener {
    @Override
    public void onCreate(){
        super.onCreate();
        //ForeGround & Background
        Foreground.init(this).addListener(this);
    }
    @Override
    public void onBecameForeground() {
        Log.d("Application","onBecameForeground");
    }

    @Override
    public void onBecameBackground() {
        Log.d("Application","onBecameBackground");
    }
}

I think you can simplify it like this

public class AppLifecycleListener implements Application.ActivityLifecycleCallbacks {
    private int numStarted;
    private boolean isForeground;

    @Override
    public void onActivityStarted(Activity activity) {
        if (numStarted == 0) {
            isForeground = true;
        }
        numStarted++;
    }

    @Override
    public void onActivityStopped(Activity activity) {
        numStarted--;
        if (numStarted == 0) {
            isForeground = false;
        }
    }
}

you saved my day

Thanks @j796160836 for the solution, I had no idea why it was falling over :)

Forget that and just use ProcessLifecycleOwner from the Android Architecture Components. It's dead simple to use and it also handles when a permission dialog is displayed

class MyApplication : Application(), LifecycleObserver {

    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()
        ProcessLifecycleOwner.get().lifecycle.addObserver(this)
    }

    @OnLifecycleEvent(Lifecycle.Event.ON_START)
    fun onAppForegrounded() {
        Log.d(TAG, "In foreground")
    }

    @OnLifecycleEvent(Lifecycle.Event.ON_STOP)
    fun onAppBackgrounded() {
        Log.d(TAG, "In background")
    }
}

It actually works. Great job!

Thanks lot

@hegazy Thank you!