IssueTracker

* Android Beta build: sdk_gphone_x86-userdebug 10 QPP3.190404.015.A1 5506116 dev-keys

* Is this a regression from P to Q? Yes

* What device are you using? (for example, Pixel XL): Emulator

* What are the steps to reproduce the problem?

Step 1. AndroidManifest.xml

 1.     <activity
 2.       android:name=".TrampolineActivity"
 3.       android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoDisplay">
 4.     </activity>

Step 2. TrampolineActivity.java

 1.     public class TrampolineActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
 2.      
 3.       // ...
 4.
 5.       @Override
 6.       protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
 7.         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
 8.
 9.         new AsyncTask<Void, Void, ParsedIntent>() {
10.           @Override
11.           protected ParsedIntent doInBackground(Void... voids) {
12.             return parseIncomingIntent(getIntent());
13.           }
14.
15.           @Override
16.           protected void onPostExecute(ParsedIntent parsedIntent) {
17.             startActivity(createForwardedIntent(parsedIntent));
18.           }
19.         }.execute();
20.
21.         finishAndRemoveTask();
22.       }
23.     }

Step 3. User launches TrampolineActivity from the launcher.

* What was the expected result?

TrampolineActivity successfully launches a different Activity on line 17.

* What was the actual result?

startActivity on line 17 fails, only on Q.

* Relevant logcat output.

W/ActivityTaskManager: Background activity start [
  callingPackage: com.example;
  callingUid: 12345;
  isCallingUidForeground: false;
  isCallingUidPersistentSystemProcess: false;
  realCallingUid: 12345;
  isRealCallingUidForeground: false;
  isRealCallingUidPersistentSystemProcess: false;
  originatingPendingIntent: null;
  isBgStartWhitelisted: false;
  intent: Intent {
    act=android.intent.action.VIEW
    dat=https://google.com/...
    cmp=com.example/.TargetActivity
  };
  callerApp: ProcessRecord{a6a0cd 16123:com.example/u0a131}
]

* Notes:

- When user launches TrampolineActivity via an explicit user action, it is a foreground task (without a doubt).
- parseIncomingIntent() requires disk access, so a good practice is to perform it on a background thread to prevent ANRs, to be a good citizen, and to provide a good user experience.
- When the AsyncTask completes, startActivity on line 17 is really in response to a user-initiated action, but the Platform does not see it that way. (*bug*)

In general, restricting background activity starts is a good idea, but in this particular edge case, it requires us to implement workarounds that make the user experience worse (e.g. by doing long processing on the main thread simply to get around this restriction.)

Please reconsider how an Activity start is detected as being not in response to a user-initiated action, e.g. allowed within x milliseconds of a user-initiated action.

* Issue Category: Framework (platform)

* Can you provide the API document where this expected behavior is explained?
https://developer.android.com/preview/privacy/background-activity-starts#enable-behavior-change