Back and Nav Up have different results

Question

I'm having an issue with activity navigation and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I have a MainActivity and a SettingsActivity but using the Back and Up (on the action bar) have two different results from the Settings Activity.

For example If I press the Back button I get the following lifecycle callbacks within the MainActivity:

V/lifeCycle: onOptionsItemSelected
V/lifeCycle: onPause
V/lifeCycle: onSaveInstanceState-Bundle[..]
V/lifeCycle: onStop
<< PRESS BACK BUTTON >>
V/lifeCycle: onRestart
V/lifeCycle: onStart
V/lifeCycle: onResume
V/lifeCycle: onPostResume

While if I press the Navigate UP button i get these results:

V/lifeCycle: onOptionsItemSelected
V/lifeCycle: onPause
V/lifeCycle: onSaveInstanceState-Bundle[..]
V/lifeCycle: onStop
<< PRESS NAV UP >>
V/lifeCycle: onDestroy // Problem
V/lifeCycle: onCreate  // Seems
V/lifeCycle: onStart   // Here
V/lifeCycle: onResume
V/lifeCycle: onPostResume

The issue is when I press the Nav UP my Main Activity gets destroyed and recreated meaning I loose all my view states, but pressing the back button does not do this.

I'm not sure if it's how I'm starting the PreferenceActivity:

Intent intent = new Intent(this, SettingsActivity.class);
            startActivity(intent);
            return true;

Or how my intents in AndroidManifest.xml are configured:

<activity
    android:name=".MainActivity"
    android:label="@string/app_name">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>
</activity>
<activity
    android:name=".SettingsActivity"
    android:label="@string/title_activity_settings"
    android:parentActivityName=".MainActivity">
    <intent-filter>
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.PREFERENCE" />
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

That might be causing the issue, or if this is just the correct behaviour that I need to override and if so, what is the "correct" way to override?

Answer 1

Remove

android:parentActivityName=".MainActivity"

from your manifest file for SettingsActivity.

Edit: Above step no longer necessary.

In your SettingsActivity class, do the following:

@Override
public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
    switch (item.getItemId())
    {
        case android.R.id.home:
            this.finish();
            return (true);
    }
    return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
}