Handling Calls and Chat Notifications When App is in Background or Terminated in Flutter

As a Flutter developer, have you ever wondered how to handle calls and chat notifications when your app is in the background or terminated? Well, wonder no more! In this article, we’ll dive into the world of background mode and notification handling in Flutter, and explore the ways to tackle this common challenge.

Understanding the Problem

When your app is in the background or terminated, it can be challenging to handle incoming calls and chat notifications. This is because the app is no longer running in the foreground, and therefore cannot receive events and notifications in the usual way.

However, with the right approach and tools, it’s possible to overcome this limitation and provide a seamless user experience, even when your app is not actively running.

Background Mode in Flutter

In Flutter, background mode refers to the ability of an app to continue running in the background, even when the app is not visible to the user. This allows the app to perform tasks such as polling for new data, updating location, or handling notifications.

To enable background mode in Flutter, you need to use a package called flutter_background_service. This package provides a simple API for running Dart code in the background, even when the app is not running.

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  flutter_background_service: ^1.0.0+2

Configuring Background Mode

To configure background mode, you need to add the following code to your AndroidManifest.xml file:

<service
    android:name="com.prayer_times.flutter_background_service.BackgroundService"
    android:enabled="true"
    android:exported="true" />

This code declares a background service that will run even when the app is not in the foreground.

Handling Notifications

Notifications are an essential part of any chat or calling app. When your app is in the background or terminated, it’s crucial to handle notifications properly to ensure that the user receives updates and alerts.

In Flutter, you can use the flutter_local_notifications package to handle notifications. This package provides a simple API for displaying local notifications on Android and iOS.

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  flutter_local_notifications: ^8.2.0

Configuring Notifications

To configure notifications, you need to add the following code to your Dart file:

import 'package:flutter_local_notifications/flutter_local_notifications.dart';

Future _showNotification() async {
  const AndroidInitializationSettings initializationSettingsAndroid =
      AndroidInitializationSettings('com.example.flutter_app');
  const IOSInitializationSettings initializationSettingsIOS =
      IOSInitializationSettings();
  const FlutterLocalNotificationsPlugin fltNotification =
      FlutterLocalNotificationsPlugin();

  await fltNotification.initialize(initSettings: Platform.isAndroid
      ? initializationSettingsAndroid
      : initializationSettingsIOS);

  await fltNotification.show(
    0,
    'Notification Title',
    'Notification Message',
    NotificationDetails(
      android: AndroidNotificationDetails(
        'channelId',
        'channelName',
        'channelDescription',
      ),
      iOS: IOSNotificationDetails(),
    ),
  );
}

This code initializes the notification plugin and displays a notification with a title, message, and details.

Handling Calls and Chat Notifications

Now that we have background mode and notifications set up, let’s talk about how to handle calls and chat notifications.

When a call or chat notification is received, your app needs to be able to handle it properly, even when it’s in the background or terminated.

Future _handleCallNotification() async {
  // Handle the call notification logic here
  await _showNotification();
}

This code handles the call notification logic and then displays a notification to the user.

Handling Terminated State

What happens when your app is terminated? In this case, you need to use a combination of background mode and notifications to handle calls and chat notifications.

flutter_background_service package provides a way to handle terminated state by using a broadcast receiver.

import 'package:flutter_background_service/flutter_background_service.dart';

Future _handleTerminatedState() async {
  await BackgroundService.startNewTask((task) async {
    // Handle the call or chat notification logic here
    await _showNotification();
  });
}

This code starts a new task that handles the call or chat notification logic and displays a notification to the user, even when the app is terminated.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored the world of background mode and notification handling in Flutter. We’ve learned how to configure background mode, handle notifications, and handle calls and chat notifications when the app is in the background or terminated.

By following these instructions, you can provide a seamless user experience, even when your app is not actively running. Remember to use the right packages and tools, and to configure your app properly to handle background mode and notifications.

Packages	Links
flutter_background_service	https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_background_service
flutter_local_notifications	https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_local_notifications

I hope this article has been helpful in providing a comprehensive guide to handling calls and chat notifications when the app is in the background or terminated in Flutter.

References

• https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_background_service
• https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_local_notifications
• https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/background- tasks

By following the instructions and using the right packages, you can ensure that your app provides a seamless user experience, even when it’s not actively running.

Thanks for reading!

Frequently Asked Question

Handling calls and chat notifications when an app is in the background or terminated can be a daunting task, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions to help you navigate this challenge in Flutter.