Mastering Broadcast Receivers in Android: Event-Driven Communication

This is one article in my series on Android’s 4 core components, where I explain what they do, how to use them properly, and common mistakes to avoid. Today, we are talking about Broadcast Receivers, a handy but often misused way to handle system wide and app specific events.

What Are Broadcast Receivers?

A Broadcast Receiver listens for messages called Intents that are sent by the system or an app. These messages notify the app about events like network changes, battery level updates, or custom defined actions.

Types of Broadcasts

? System Broadcasts

Sent by the Android system in response to events like:

?? android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE → Network status updates

?? android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED → Device boot completion

?? android.intent.action.BATTERY_LOW → Low battery warning

? Custom Broadcasts

Apps can send and receive their own broadcasts using LocalBroadcastManager or sendBroadcast(), allowing internal components to communicate efficiently.

Registering a Broadcast Receiver

?? Manifest-Declared Receivers

Declared in AndroidManifest.xml, these are used for system-wide events that don’t require UI interaction. However, due to background execution limits from Android 8.0 (Oreo), they are now restricted for most implicit broadcasts.

?? Context-Registered Receivers

Dynamically registered in an Activity or Service, allowing the app to listen for broadcasts only when needed.

Best Practices for Using Broadcast Receivers

? Use Context-Registered Receivers When Possible

This prevents unnecessary wake-ups and reduces memory consumption.

? Leverage WorkManager for Background Tasks

For long-running operations triggered by a broadcast (e.g., syncing data after network reconnection), use WorkManager instead of processing directly inside onReceive().

? Restrict Custom Broadcasts

Use LocalBroadcastManager or explicit broadcasts to avoid security risks and unnecessary app wake-ups.

? Handle Permissions Properly

Restrict broadcasts with permissions to prevent unauthorized apps from sending or receiving them.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

?? Processing Heavy Tasks Inside onReceive() – The method runs on the main thread and should complete quickly. Use JobIntentService or WorkManager for long operations.

?? Using Manifest-Declared Receivers for Background Work – Many implicit broadcasts are restricted in newer Android versions. Use JobScheduler or WorkManager instead.

?? Failing to Unregister Context-Registered Receivers – Always call unregisterReceiver() in onPause() or onDestroy() to prevent memory leaks.

Final Thoughts

Broadcast Receivers are a great tool for event-driven communication, but they must be used wisely to ensure efficiency and security. With modern Android restrictions, WorkManager and JobScheduler often provide better alternatives for background processing.

How do you handle broadcast messages in your apps? Let’s discuss! ??

#AndroidDevelopment #Mobile #BroadcastReceivers #Jetpack #Kotlin