show an alert dialog in broadcast receiver after a system reboot

Question

Good day, I am trying to show an alert dialog after a system reboot in a broadcast receiver. I have added the receiver in my manifest and called the required permission, but am getting an error in showing the dialog. Please How can i implement this correctly?.. Thank you

my code:

public void onReceive(final Context context, Intent intent) {     Log.d(TAG, "received boot completed broadcast receiver... starting settings");       String settings = context.getResources().getString(R.string.restart_setting);         String yes = context.getResources().getString(R.string.Settings);         String no = context.getResources().getString(R.string.Cancel);                final AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);                 builder.setMessage(settings)                        .setCancelable(false)                        .setPositiveButton(yes, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {     public void onClick(@SuppressWarnings("unused") final DialogInterface dialog, @SuppressWarnings("unused") final int id)     Intent config = new Intent(context, WeatherConfigure.class)      context.startActivity(config);      }  })     .setNegativeButton(no, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {         public void onClick(final DialogInterface dialog, @SuppressWarnings("unused") final int id) {              dialog.cancel();         }     });   final AlertDialog alert = builder.create();   alert.show();      } 

am getting this log error:

01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004): Caused by: android.view.WindowManager$BadTokenException: Unable to add window -- token null is not for an application  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004): at android.view.ViewRoot.setView(ViewRoot.java:548)  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004):at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:177)  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004): at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:91)  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004):at android.app.Dialog.show(Dialog.java:288)  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004):at com.MuaaApps.MyWeatherUpdate.myWeatherBroadcastReceiver.onReceive(MyWeatherBroadcastReceiver.java:59)  01-07 01:42:01.559: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(2004): at android.app.ActivityThread.handleReceiver(ActivityThread.java:1994) 

Answer 1

The problem is you are trying to show an AlertDialog from a BroadcastReceiver, which isn't allowed. You can't show an AlertDialog from a BroadcastReceiver. Only activities can display dialogs.

You should do something else, have the BroadcastReceiver start on boot as you do and start an activity to show the dialog.

Here is a blog post more on this.

EDIT:

Here is how I would recommend doing it. From your BroadcastReceiver start an Activity with an AlertDialog as such..

public class NotifySMSReceived extends Activity  {     private static final String LOG_TAG = "SMSReceiver";     public static final int NOTIFICATION_ID_RECEIVED = 0x1221;     static final String ACTION = "android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED";      @Override     protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);          IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter(ACTION);         this.registerReceiver(mReceivedSMSReceiver, filter);     }      private void displayAlert()     {         AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);         builder.setMessage("Are you sure you want to exit?").setCancelable(             false).setPositiveButton("Yes",             new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {                 public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {                     dialog.cancel();                 }             }).setNegativeButton("No",             new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {                 public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {                     dialog.cancel();                 }             });         AlertDialog alert = builder.create();         alert.show();     }      private final BroadcastReceiver mReceivedSMSReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {          @Override         public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {             String action = intent.getAction();              if (ACTION.equals(action))              {                 //your SMS processing code                 displayAlert();             }         }     } } 

As you see here I NEVER called setContentView(). This is because the activity will have a transparent view and only the alert dialog will show.