Crash: ForegroundServiceDidNotStartInTimeException when using foreground location tracking

[hjdealba96]

Summary

We recently implemented foreground location tracking options as a fallback mechanism to trigger geofences locally when users deny background location permissions. Here's our code implementation:

if (Radar.isTracking()) { 

     val currentTrackingOption = Radar.getTrackingOptions()
        
     val usingBackgroundTracking = currentTrackingOption.foregroundServiceEnabled.not()

     if (usingBackgroundTracking != areBackgroundLocationPermissionsGranted()) {
          Radar.stopTracking()    
     } else {
          return
     }

}

val trackingOption = RadarTrackingOptions.RESPONSIVE

if (areBackgroundLocationPermissionsGranted()) {

     Radar.startTracking(defaultTrackingOption.apply {
          foregroundServiceEnabled = false
     })

} else if (areLocationPermissionsGranted()) {

     with(Radar) {
          setForegroundServiceOptions(
               RadarTrackingOptions.RadarTrackingOptionsForegroundService(
                    iconString = resources.getResourceEntryName(R.drawable.ic_push_notif_icon),
                    iconColor = toHexString(R.color.push_notif_color, context),
                    text = getString(R.string.text_push_notif)
               )
          )
          startTracking(trackingOption.apply {
               foregroundServiceEnabled = true
          })
     }

}

So far, foreground location tracking is working fine but, we have been getting sporadic reports of this crash:

Fatal Exception: android.app.ForegroundServiceDidNotStartInTimeException: Context.startForegroundService() did not then call Service.startForeground(): ServiceRecord{4e11fc2 u0 com.mudflap.mudflap/io.radar.sdk.RadarForegroundService}
       at android.app.ActivityThread.throwRemoteServiceException(ActivityThread.java:2147)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2800(ActivityThread.java:310)
       at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2376)
       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
       at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:226)
       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:313)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8669)
       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
       at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:571)
       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1135)

I've been investigating possible causes for this crash and found a piece of information in the Android docs that seems to be related to it:

The system allows apps to call Context.startForegroundService() even while the app is in the background. However, the app must call that service's startForeground() method within five seconds after the service is created.

Is there something that can be done to fix or mitigate this crash?

Also, I'd like to know if we're using Radar.stopTracking() correctly in our implementation. We're calling it to stop the tracking when the background location permission status changes, so the tracking mode (foreground or background) is updated based on it. Do we even need to do that or is the SDK capable of doing so out of the box?

[hjdealba96]

@KennyHuRadar Did you guys have the chance to review this report?

[KennyHuRadar]

Would you be able to share your android manifest?

[hjdealba96]

@KennyHuRadar Do you want to see the regular manifest or the merged one?

[KennyHuRadar]

The one declaring permissions.

[hjdealba96]

Here it is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CALL_PHONE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS" />

    <!-- Resolve conflict between Zendesk Messaging and Intercom permission -->
    <uses-permission
        android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
        android:maxSdkVersion="28"
        tools:replace="android:maxSdkVersion" />

    <!-- Allows the Incognia SDK to restart itself after the device is rebooted -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />

    <!-- Required to display non-exempt push notifications on Android 33+ -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS" />

    <uses-feature
        android:name="android.hardware.telephony"
        android:required="false" />
    <uses-feature
        android:name="android.hardware.microphone"
        android:required="false" />

    <application
        android:name=".MudflapApplication"
        android:allowBackup="false"
        android:dataExtractionRules="@xml/data_extraction_rules"
        android:fullBackupContent="false"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"
        android:resizeableActivity="false"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme"
        tools:ignore="DiscouragedApi,LockedOrientationActivity"
        tools:targetApi="s">

        <provider
            android:name="androidx.core.content.FileProvider"
            android:authorities="${applicationId}.fileProvider"
            android:exported="false"
            android:grantUriPermissions="true">
            <meta-data
                android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
                android:resource="@xml/provider_paths" />
        </provider>
        <provider
            android:name="androidx.startup.InitializationProvider"
            android:authorities="${applicationId}.androidx-startup"
            android:exported="false"
            tools:node="merge">
            <meta-data
                android:name="app.rive.runtime.kotlin.RiveInitializer"
                android:value="androidx.startup" />
        </provider>
        <provider
            android:name="com.facebook.FacebookContentProvider"
            android:authorities="com.facebook.app.FacebookContentProvider${facebook_app_id}"
            android:exported="false" />

        <service
            android:name="com.braze.push.BrazeFirebaseMessagingService"
            android:exported="false">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
            </intent-filter>
        </service>
        <service
            android:name=".pushnotification.ZendeskFirebaseMessagingService"
            android:exported="false">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
            </intent-filter>
        </service>
    </application>

</manifest>

I omitted some parts that I considered irrelevant, like the activity declarations and meta-data tags

[KennyHuRadar]

Can you try adding <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/> as well?

[hjdealba96]

That permission is already being added to the Merged Manifest: