Override onTaskRemoved() in your service and use alarm manager to start the service again. Below is code from our app that does the same and works fine:
@Override
public void onTaskRemoved(Intent rootIntent) {
super.onTaskRemoved(rootIntent);
Log.d(TAG, "TASK REMOVED");
PendingIntent service = PendingIntent.getService(
getApplicationContext(),
1001,
new Intent(getApplicationContext(), MyService.class),
PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);
AlarmManager alarmManager = (AlarmManager) getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
alarmManager.set(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP, 1000, service);
}
As you may want to send location periodically even in the case if the service gets killed on low memory (or for any reason), I suggest you to handle the uncaughtException to restart it after N seconds. This is how we have done in our app that works perfectly:
private Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler defaultUEH;
private Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler uncaughtExceptionHandler = new Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler() {
@Override
public void uncaughtException(Thread thread, Throwable ex) {
Log.d(TAG, "Uncaught exception start!");
ex.printStackTrace();
//Same as done in onTaskRemoved()
PendingIntent service = PendingIntent.getService(
getApplicationContext(),
1001,
new Intent(getApplicationContext(), MyService.class),
PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);
AlarmManager alarmManager = (AlarmManager) getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
alarmManager.set(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP, 1000, service);
System.exit(2);
}
};
Note: I THINK and I remember I verified it on Kitkat that START_STICKY does not work on Kitkat and higher API levels. Please verify this for yourself.
MORE:
As you do loc sending periodically, you may have to consider the deep sleep mode. To get things work in deep sleep, use WakefulBroadcastReceiver combined with AlarmManager. Take a look at my other post How to use http in deep sleep mode.
UPDATE:
This solution does not work (in fact need not to work) if user “FORCE STOP” the application from Settings. This is good in fact as restarting the service is not a good way if user himself wants to stop application. So, it is fine.