How to interface with the BadgeProvider on Samsung

Question

Samsung's TWLauncher allows apps to create badge counts on app icons.

This is completely undocumented! There is no mention of it anywhere, and only a handful of apps are using it (e.g. Facebook, eBay).

How do you use this functionality to add a count to your app icon?

This is very specific to Samsung devices. I am not asking about Android in general. I'm only asking about badging Samsung's Touchwhiz interface which currently allows badging. Android does not.

Answer 1

add these permissions to manifest

<!--for android badge-->
<uses-permission android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS"/>
<uses-permission android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS"/>

<!--for Samsung badge-->
<uses-permission android:name="com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.READ"/>
<uses-permission android:name="com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.WRITE"/>

<!--for htc badge-->
<uses-permission android:name="com.htc.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS"/>
<uses-permission android:name="com.htc.launcher.permission.UPDATE_SHORTCUT"/>

<!--for sony badge-->
<uses-permission android:name="com.sonyericsson.home.permission.BROADCAST_BADGE"/>

<!--for apex badge-->
<uses-permission android:name="com.anddoes.launcher.permission.UPDATE_COUNT"/>

add these package names to your class :

    final String HOME_PACKAGE_SONY = "com.sonyericsson.home";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_SAMSUNG = "com.sec.android.app.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_LG = "com.lge.launcher2";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_HTC = "com.htc.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_ANDROID = "com.android.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_APEX = "com.anddoes.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_ADW = "org.adw.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_ADW_EX = "org.adwfreak.launcher";
    final String HOME_PACKAGE_NOVA = "com.teslacoilsw.launcher";

for use :

  // just put your pachage and main activity class path
  String classPath = "ir.faasaa.resa.MainActivity";

           ContentValues cv = new ContentValues();
                    cv.put("package", context.getPackageName());
                    cv.put("class", classPath);
                    cv.put("badgecount", count);
           context.getContentResolver().insert(Uri.parse(HOME_PACKAGE_SAMSUNG), cv);

thanks to ShortcutBadger