What should I choose between BroadcastReceiver and PhoneStateListener when I need to detect call event in android?

Question

I have read Detecting outgoing call and call hangup event in android

I want to do an app to detect call event in background as a service, I think I should choose BroadcastReceiver, because the app will keep detect call even if I exit the app. I think the only way to stop detecting call is uninstall the app when I use BroadcastReceiver.

If I choose PhoneStateListener, I think the app will stop detecting call if I exit the app.

Right?

Thanks!

Answer 1

In my opinion the best way to go is using the simplest solution. That said, PhoneStateListener will do exactly what you want - detect call event in background:

public class IncomingCallReciever extends BroadcastReceiver {

    private Context mContext;
    private Intent mIntent;

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        mContext = context;
        mIntent = intent;
        TelephonyManager tm = (TelephonyManager) context.getSystemService(Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE);
        int events = PhoneStateListener.LISTEN_CALL_STATE;
        tm.listen(phoneStateListener, events);
    }

    private final PhoneStateListener phoneStateListener = new PhoneStateListener() {
        @Override
        public void onCallStateChanged(int state, String incomingNumber) {
            String callState = "UNKNOWN";
            switch (state) {
            case TelephonyManager.CALL_STATE_IDLE:
                callState = "IDLE";
                break;
            case TelephonyManager.CALL_STATE_RINGING:
                // -- check international call or not.
                if (incomingNumber.startsWith("00")) {
                    Toast.makeText(mContext,"International Call- " + incomingNumber,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                    callState = "International - Ringing (" + incomingNumber+ ")";
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(mContext, "Local Call - " + incomingNumber, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                    callState = "Local - Ringing (" + incomingNumber + ")";
                }
                break;
            case TelephonyManager.CALL_STATE_OFFHOOK:
                String dialingNumber = mIntent.getStringExtra(Intent.EXTRA_PHONE_NUMBER);
                if (dialingNumber.startsWith("00")) {
                    Toast.makeText(mContext,"International - " + dialingNumber,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                    callState = "International - Dialing (" + dialingNumber+ ")";
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(mContext, "Local Call - " + dialingNumber,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                    callState = "Local - Dialing (" + dialingNumber + ")";
                }
                break;
            }
            Log.i(">>>Broadcast", "onCallStateChanged " + callState);
            super.onCallStateChanged(state, incomingNumber);
        }
    };

}

To access the states, you need to declare the permissions in manifest file:

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

It is pretty amazing what PhoneStateListener.LISTEN_CALL_STATE do, practically making it much easier than thought at first sight, because it provide you all you need to monitor call events.