How to handle notification when app in background

Question

Here is my manifest

    <service android:name=".fcm.PshycoFirebaseMessagingServices">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
        </intent-filter>
    </service>

    <service android:name=".fcm.PshycoFirebaseInstanceIDService">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="com.google.firebase.INSTANCE_ID_EVENT" />
        </intent-filter>
    </service>

When the app is in background and notification arrives then the default notification comes and doesn't run my code of onMessageReceived.

Here is my onMessageReceived code. This invokes if my app is running on foreground, not when app in background. How to run this code when the app is in background too?

// [START receive_message]
@Override
public void onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage remoteMessage) {
    // TODO(developer): Handle FCM messages here.
    // If the application is in the foreground handle both data and notification messages here.
    // Also if you intend on generating your own notifications as a result of a received FCM
    // message, here is where that should be initiated. See sendNotification method below.
    data = remoteMessage.getData();
    String title = remoteMessage.getNotification().getTitle();
    String message = remoteMessage.getNotification().getBody();
    String imageUrl = (String) data.get("image");
    String action = (String) data.get("action");
    Log.i(TAG, "onMessageReceived: title : "+title);
    Log.i(TAG, "onMessageReceived: message : "+message);
    Log.i(TAG, "onMessageReceived: imageUrl : "+imageUrl);
    Log.i(TAG, "onMessageReceived: action : "+action);

    if (imageUrl == null) {
        sendNotification(title,message,action);
    } else {
        new BigPictureNotification(this,title,message,imageUrl,action);
    }
}
// [END receive_message]

Answer 1

Since the display-messages which are sent from Firebase Notification UI only works if your app is in foreground. For data-messages, there is a need to make a POST call to FCM

Steps

1. Install Advanced Rest Client Google Chrome Extension

2. Add the following headers

   Key: Content-Type, Value: application/json

   Key: Authorization, Value: key="your server key"

3. Add the body

   • If using topics :

     {
         "to" : "/topics/topic_name",
         "data": {
         "key1" : "value1",
         "key2" : "value2",
         }
     }
     

   • If using registration id :

     {
         "registration_ids" : "[{"id"},{id1}]",
         "data": {
         "key1" : "value1",
         "key2" : "value2",
          }
     }
     

---

Thats it!. Now listen to onMessageReceived callback as usual.

@Override
public void onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage remoteMessage) { 
     Map<String, String> data = remoteMessage.getData();
     String value1 = data.get("key1");
     String value2 = data.get("key2");
}

Answer 2

According to the docs: May 17, 2017

When your app is in the background, Android directs notification messages to the system tray. A user tap on the notification opens the app launcher by default.

This includes messages that contain both notification and data payload (and all messages sent from the Notifications console). In these cases, the notification is delivered to the device's system tray, and the data payload is delivered in the extras of the intent of your launcher Activity.

So,you should use both of the payload notification + data:

{
  "to": "FCM registration ID",
  "notification": {
    "title" : "title",
    "body"  : "body text",
    "icon"  : "ic_notification"
   },
   "data": {
     "someData"  : "This is some data",
     "someData2" : "etc"
   }
}

There is no need to use click_action.You should just get exras from intent on LAUNCHER activity

<activity android:name=".MainActivity">
        <intent-filter>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
</activity>

Java code should be on onCreate method on MainActivity :

Intent intent = getIntent();
if (intent != null && intent.getExtras() != null) {
    Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
    String someData= extras.getString("someData");
    String someData2 = extras.getString("someData2");
}

You can test both of the payload notification + data from Firebase Notifications Console . Don't forget to fill custom data fields on Advanced options section

Answer 3

Remove notification payload completely from your server request. Send only data and handle it in onMessageReceived(), otherwise your onMessageReceived will not be triggered when the app is in background or killed.

Here is what I am sending from server:

{
  "data":{
    "id": 1,
    "missedRequests": 5
    "addAnyDataHere": 123
  },
  "to": "fhiT7evmZk8:APA91bFJq7Tkly4BtLRXdYvqHno2vHCRkzpJT8QZy0TlIGs......"
}

So you can receive your data in onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage message) like this: (let's say I have to get the id)

Object obj = message.getData().get("id");
        if (obj != null) {
            int id = Integer.valueOf(obj.toString());
        }

And similarly you can get any data which you have sent from server within onMessageReceived().

Answer 4

Here is more clear concepts about firebase message. I found it from their support team.

Firebase has three message types:

Notification messages : Notification message works on background or foreground. When app is in background, Notification messages are delivered to the system tray. If the app is in the foreground, messages are handled by onMessageReceived() or didReceiveRemoteNotification callbacks. These are essentially what is referred to as Display messages.

Data messages: On Android platform, data message can work on background and foreground. The data message will be handled by onMessageReceived(). A platform specific note here would be: On Android, the data payload can be retrieved in the Intent used to launch your activity. To elaborate, if you have "click_action":"launch_Activity_1", you can retrieve this intent through getIntent() from only Activity_1.

Messages with both notification and data payloads: When in the background, apps receive the notification payload in the notification tray, and only handle the data payload when the user taps on the notification. When in the foreground, your app receives a message object with both payloads available. Secondly, the click_action parameter is often used in notification payload and not in data payload. If used inside data payload, this parameter would be treated as custom key-value pair and therefore you would need to implement custom logic for it to work as intended.

Also, I recommend you to use onMessageReceived method (see Data message) to extract the data bundle. From your logic, I checked the bundle object and haven't found expected data content. Here is a reference to a similar case which might provide more clarity.

For more info visit my this thread

Answer 5

June 2018 Answer -

You have to make sure there is not a "notification" keyword anywhere in the message. Only include "data", and the app will be able to handle the message in onMessageReceived, even if in background or killed.

Using Cloud Functions:

const message = {
    token: token_id,   // obtain device token id by querying data in firebase
    data: {
       title: "my_custom_title",
       body:  "my_custom_body_message"
       }
    }


return admin.messaging().send(message).then(response => {
    // handle response
});

Then in your onMessageReceived(), in your class extending com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessagingService :

if (data != null) {
  Log.d(TAG, "data title is: " + data.get("title");
  Log.d(TAG, "data body is: " + data.get("body");
}

// build notification using the body, title, and whatever else you want.

Answer 6

In addition to above answers, If you are testing push notifications using FCM console, 'data' key and object is not added to Push Notification bundle. So you will not receive detailed push notification when App is background or killed.

In this case you have to opt for your back end admin console to test App background scenario.

Here, you will have added 'data' key to your push bundle. so, detailed push will be shown as expected. Hope this helps few.