setExactAndAllowWhileIdle - is not exact as of developer reference

Question

AlarmManager on API19 has the method setExact() to set an exact alarm.

Exact means --> If I set an alarm to 2:01 pm it will be triggered at 2:01 pm

On API 23 - Marhsmwallow (6.0) there is a new method setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(), but as of the reference it is not EXACT because it will trigger only every minute and in low power idle mode only every 15 minutes.

Exact != every 15 minutes :-)

So how can I achieve an exact alarm with AlarmManager in 6.0?

If a user adds a reminder or a calendar appointment and wants to be informed 10 minutes before the event it should show the alarm EXACT 10 minutes before the event. With setExactAndAllowWhileIdle() this seems is not possible.

Reference Link: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/AlarmManager.html#setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(int, long, android.app.PendingIntent)

Answer 1

So how can I achieve an exact alarm with AlarmManager in 6.0?

You are welcome to try setAlarmClock(), as AFAIK it is unaffected by Doze mode. Otherwise, AlarmManager is not a viable option for you. Even having your app on the battery optimization whitelist will not help, as AlarmManager behavior does not change based on the whitelist.

You are welcome to use GCM, as a high-priority message should give you an opportunity to alert the user. This, of course, requires network connectivity.

The only offline solution that I am aware of — and that I am presently testing — is to have the user add your app to the battery optimization whitelist, then use a foreground service (to try to keep your process around), a ScheduledExecutorService (for the timing), and a partial WakeLock (to keep the CPU on). This will be fairly devastating to the user's battery.