Xamarin.Forms Android 14 Application Can’t Be Terminated? Here’s the Fix!

Are you frustrated with your Xamarin.Forms Android 14 application that refuses to terminate when you want it to? You’re not alone! Many developers have faced this issue, and it’s not due to a bug in Xamarin.Forms, but rather a missing configuration in the AndroidManifest.xml file. In this article, we’ll dive into the reasons behind this issue and provide a step-by-step guide to resolve it.

What’s causing the issue?

The main reason behind this issue is the new Android 14 (API level 29) restrictions on background services. Starting from Android 10 (API level 29), the system limits the use of foreground services, and Xamarin.Forms applications by default don’t specify the foreground service type in the AndroidManifest.xml file.

This restriction prevents the application from being terminated when the user presses the back button or swipes it away from the recent apps list. Instead, the application remains in the background, consuming system resources and potentially causing issues.

How to fix the issue?

Fortunately, resolving this issue is quite straightforward. You just need to add the necessary configuration to the AndroidManifest.xml file to specify the foreground service type. Here’s a step-by-step guide to do so:

Step 1: Open the AndroidManifest.xml file

Open your Xamarin.Forms Android project in Visual Studio, and navigate to the AndroidManifest.xml file, typically located in the Properties folder.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:versionCode="1" android:versionName="1.0" package="com.example.myapp">
    ...
</manifest>

Step 2: Add the foreground service type

Add the following code snippet inside the <application> tag:

<application ...>
    ...
    <service android:name="androidx.work.impl.foreground.SystemForegroundService" android:foregroundServiceType="location" />
    ...
</application>

In this code, we’re specifying the foreground service type as location, which is suitable for most Xamarin.Forms applications. You can adjust this according to your application’s requirements.

Step 3: Save and rebuild the project

Save the changes to the AndroidManifest.xml file and rebuild your Xamarin.Forms Android project.

Additional Tips and Variations

While the steps above should resolve the issue, there are some additional tips and variations to consider:

Using the AndroidX WorkManager

If you’re using the AndroidX WorkManager in your Xamarin.Forms application, you’ll need to add the following code snippet to the AndroidManifest.xml file:

<service android:name="androidx.work.impl.foreground.SystemForegroundService" android:foregroundServiceType="location|camera" />

This specifies the foreground service type as both location and camera, which is required for the WorkManager to function correctly.

Custom Foreground Service

If you have a custom foreground service in your Xamarin.Forms application, you’ll need to specify its type in the AndroidManifest.xml file:

<service android:name=".MyForegroundService" android:foregroundServiceType="voice|video" />

Replace .MyForegroundService with the actual name of your custom foreground service class.

Xamarin.Forms 5.0 and above

If you’re using Xamarin.Forms 5.0 or above, you can take advantage of the built-in support for foreground services. In this case, you don’t need to manually add the foreground service type to the AndroidManifest.xml file.

Instead, you can use the OnCreate method in your Xamarin.Forms application’s MainApplication class to specify the foreground service type:

public override void OnCreate()
{
    base.OnCreate();
    Xamarin.Essentials.Platform.Init(this);
    AndroidX.Work.RunningInBackground.Enable("myapp_work_tag", typeof(MyForegroundService));
}

Replace myapp_work_tag with a unique tag for your application, and MyForegroundService with the actual name of your custom foreground service class.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored the reasons behind the Xamarin.Forms Android 14 application termination issue and provided a step-by-step guide to resolve it. By adding the necessary configuration to the AndroidManifest.xml file, you can ensure that your application terminates correctly when the user wants it to.

Remember to tailor the foreground service type to your application’s specific requirements, and consider using the AndroidX WorkManager or custom foreground services as needed. With these tips and variations, you’ll be well on your way to creating a seamless user experience for your Xamarin.Forms Android application.

Xamarin.Forms Version	Android Version	Fix
< 5.0	Android 14 (API level 29)	Add foreground service type to AndroidManifest.xml
≥ 5.0	Android 14 (API level 29)	Use built-in support for foreground services in Xamarin.Forms

We hope this article has been informative and helpful in resolving the Xamarin.Forms Android 14 application termination issue. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to ask in the comments section below!

• Android Documentation: Services
• Xamarin.Forms Documentation: Backgrounding
• Xamarin.Forms GitHub Issue: Android 14 foreground service type

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