How to get Usage Access Permission programmatically

Question

My app needs to have Usage Access Permission in order to get information about the current running app on user's phone. I am able to successfully implement it using the following code with the help from the following link.

Usage Access apps

Here is my working code

public void showDialog()
 {
     if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {

         @SuppressWarnings("WrongConstant")
         UsageStatsManager usm = (UsageStatsManager) getSystemService("usagestats");
         long time = System.currentTimeMillis();
         List<UsageStats> appList = usm.queryUsageStats(UsageStatsManager.INTERVAL_DAILY,
                 time - 1000 * 1000, time);
         if (appList.size()==0)
         {
             AlertDialog alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(this)
                     .setTitle("Usage Access")
                     .setMessage("App will not run without usage access permissions.")
                     .setPositiveButton("Settings", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                         @TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP)
                         public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                             // continue with delete
                             Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_USAGE_ACCESS_SETTINGS);
                            // intent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.android.settings","com.android.settings.Settings$SecuritySettingsActivity"));
                             intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
                             startActivityForResult(intent,0);
                         }
                     })
                     .setNegativeButton("Cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                         public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                             // do nothing
                             dialog.dismiss();
                         }
                     })
                     .setIcon(android.R.drawable.ic_dialog_alert)
                     .create();

             alertDialog.getWindow().setType(WindowManager.LayoutParams.TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT);
             alertDialog.show();
         }                      else {
             Intent intent = new Intent(this, PackageService.class);
             startService(intent);
             finish();
         }
     }else
     {
         Intent intent = new Intent(this, PackageService.class);
         startService(intent);
         finish();
     }
 }

This code will show a user an alert dialog that Usage Access permission is required and will take user to the settings screen from where it can be enabled.

Everything works perfectly with this. Only thing that I want is that how to give my app usage access permission by default without showing any dialog to user until he/she doesn't turn it off manually?

Solution

You can simply give this Permission on the manifest, ignoring just this permission error:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS" tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions"/>

Than use Following code for permission

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    if (!isAccessGranted()) {
        Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_USAGE_ACCESS_SETTINGS);
        startActivity(intent);
    }
}


private boolean isAccessGranted() {
        try {
            PackageManager packageManager = getPackageManager();
            ApplicationInfo applicationInfo = packageManager.getApplicationInfo(getPackageName(), 0);
            AppOpsManager appOpsManager = (AppOpsManager) getSystemService(Context.APP_OPS_SERVICE);
            int mode = 0;
            if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
                mode = appOpsManager.checkOpNoThrow(AppOpsManager.OPSTR_GET_USAGE_STATS,
                        applicationInfo.uid, applicationInfo.packageName);
            }
            return (mode == AppOpsManager.MODE_ALLOWED);

        } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
            return false;
        }
    }

Comments

[kash]

@samchaudhari with the given method, the user still has to open the Usage access page and turn it on manually. Does it turn it on automatically for you? without any user input?

[sam chaudhari]

@kash there is not any way to turn it on automatically. user must turn it on manually.

[Ahmad Joyia]

how we add tutorial screen in usage setting screen