Can I use Helvetica Neue font free of charge in my website

Question

I need to "lock" a user into an application. The device's sole purpose is to use this application, and so it is not feasible to allow the user to navigate the device for any other reason. What is the best way to make sure that the applications Activitys are always in the foreground, and if not, launch the main Activity?

Now I know this goes against everything about the typical Android application development, but these devices are going to be specifically used for this one application.

What is the best way to determine if any of the applications Activitys are in the foreground, and launch one if not?

Solution

It's legal to ask the browser to use Helvetica Neue if it's available on the system, but you'd need a license if you want to serve the font yourself. One option is to use Helvetica Neue if it's system-installed and fall back to some other sans-serif font like Arial if it's not.

License details

Source

If you don't want to pay you may consider the second post which states a good alternative. The most up-voted posts suggest

Liberation Sans.
Roboto.
Tex-Gyre-Heros.
MgOpen Moderna.

Source

You can buy a license from places like https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/neue-helvetica/ or http://www.linotype.com/1266/neuehelvetica-family.html

Comments

[Nathan Fig]

Ahh, beat me to the punch, and all I did was reference one of your answers elsewhere. ;P

[Tyler]

Is the home screen solution dependent upon rolling on your own firmware?

[CommonsWare]

@Styler: That depends upon your definition of "dependent". Without it, knowledgeable users of your device can reboot the device into safe mode, where they will get the device's stock home screen and can, among other things, remove your app. Android is designed to empower the person holding the device -- the only "higher authority" is whoever wrote the firmware.

[Tyler]

@CommonsWare do you have any examples available of this being implemented, or source code?

[CommonsWare]

There is a sample home screen app in your SDK samples. It's called Home.