Keep notifications alive when the app is closed (foreground service)

Adds LiveSocketService, a started foreground service that holds the /ws
WebSocket open after the app is swiped away and raises system notifications
for incoming alerts and messages while backgrounded. Shown as a low-priority
ongoing "Listening" notification (channel "Live updates").

- Started/stopped together with the push toggle (Profile) and on login/logout.
- foregroundServiceType=dataSync (+ FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC permission).
- START_STICKY + onTaskRemoved no-op so it survives task removal; the OS may
  still kill it on explicit Force-Stop or reboot-until-reopened.
- MainShell no longer posts notifications itself (the service owns that) and
  just keeps the bell count fresh; the poll remains as a catch-up.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC" />
 
     <application
         android:name=".BountyBoardApp"
@@ -24,5 +26,10 @@
                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
             </intent-filter>
         </activity>
+
+        <service
+            android:name=".data.push.LiveSocketService"
+            android:exported="false"
+            android:foregroundServiceType="dataSync" />
     </application>
 </manifest>

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/data/AppContainer.kt

@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ class AppContainer(
 
     fun cancelPush() = com.anypreta.bountyboard.data.push.PushScheduler.cancel(appContext)
 
+    /** Start/stop the foreground service that keeps the socket alive when the app is closed. */
+    fun startLiveService() = com.anypreta.bountyboard.data.push.LiveSocketService.start(appContext)
+
+    fun stopLiveService() = com.anypreta.bountyboard.data.push.LiveSocketService.stop(appContext)
+
     suspend fun clearPushState() = com.anypreta.bountyboard.data.push.PushStateStore(appContext).clear()
 
     fun setBaseUrl(url: String) {

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/data/push/LiveSocketService.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+package com.anypreta.bountyboard.data.push
+
+import android.app.Service
+import android.content.Context
+import android.content.Intent
+import android.content.pm.ServiceInfo
+import android.os.Build
+import android.os.IBinder
+import androidx.core.app.ServiceCompat
+import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
+import com.anypreta.bountyboard.BountyBoardApp
+import com.anypreta.bountyboard.ui.util.htmlToPlain
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.SupervisorJob
+import kotlinx.coroutines.cancel
+import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+
+/**
+ * A started foreground service that keeps the live-update WebSocket connected even
+ * after the app is swiped away, and raises system notifications for incoming alerts
+ * and messages. This is what makes notifications work while the app is "closed"
+ * (it does NOT survive an explicit Force-Stop or a reboot-until-reopened).
+ */
+class LiveSocketService : Service() {
+
+    private val scope = CoroutineScope(SupervisorJob() + Dispatchers.Default)
+    private var started = false
+
+    override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? = null
+
+    override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
+        startInForeground()
+        if (!started) {
+            started = true
+            val container = (application as BountyBoardApp).container
+            container.live.connect()
+
+            scope.launch {
+                container.live.notifications.collect { n ->
+                    if (!container.appForeground) {
+                        PushNotifier.notifyAlert(
+                            applicationContext,
+                            id = ("a" + n.id).hashCode(),
+                            title = n.title.ifBlank { "New alert" },
+                            body = htmlToPlain(n.body).ifBlank { "You have a new alert." },
+                            route = PushNotifier.routeForServerLink(n.link),
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            scope.launch {
+                container.live.chatMessages.collect { m ->
+                    val mine = m.senderId == container.session.user.value?.id
+                    if (!container.appForeground && !mine) {
+                        PushNotifier.notifyMessage(
+                            applicationContext,
+                            id = ("m" + m.conversationId).hashCode(),
+                            title = "New message",
+                            body = htmlToPlain(m.body).ifBlank { "New message" },
+                            route = "conversation/${m.conversationId}",
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return START_STICKY
+    }
+
+    private fun startInForeground() {
+        val notification = PushNotifier.serviceNotification(this)
+        val type = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q) {
+            ServiceInfo.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_DATA_SYNC
+        } else {
+            0
+        }
+        ServiceCompat.startForeground(this, PushNotifier.SERVICE_NOTIF_ID, notification, type)
+    }
+
+    // Keep running when the task is swiped away — that's the whole point.
+    override fun onTaskRemoved(rootIntent: Intent?) {
+        // no-op: stay alive
+    }
+
+    override fun onDestroy() {
+        scope.cancel()
+        started = false
+        // The socket itself is owned by the process/UI; leave it for MainShell/logout.
+        super.onDestroy()
+    }
+
+    companion object {
+        fun start(context: Context) {
+            val intent = Intent(context, LiveSocketService::class.java)
+            ContextCompat.startForegroundService(context, intent)
+        }
+
+        fun stop(context: Context) {
+            context.stopService(Intent(context, LiveSocketService::class.java))
+        }
+    }
+}

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/data/push/PushNotifier.kt

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ object PushNotifier {
 
     const val CHANNEL_ALERTS = "alerts"
     const val CHANNEL_MESSAGES = "messages"
+    const val CHANNEL_SERVICE = "live"
+    const val SERVICE_NOTIF_ID = 1001
     const val EXTRA_ROUTE = "bb_route"
 
     fun ensureChannels(context: Context) {
@@ -32,8 +34,25 @@ object PushNotifier {
                 description = "New direct, group and project messages"
             },
         )
+        mgr.createNotificationChannel(
+            NotificationChannel(CHANNEL_SERVICE, "Live updates", NotificationManager.IMPORTANCE_LOW).apply {
+                description = "Keeps a connection open so alerts and messages arrive instantly"
+                setShowBadge(false)
+            },
+        )
     }
 
+    /** The ongoing notification shown while the live-updates foreground service runs. */
+    fun serviceNotification(context: Context): android.app.Notification =
+        NotificationCompat.Builder(context, CHANNEL_SERVICE)
+            .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_stat_diamond)
+            .setContentTitle("Bounty Board")
+            .setContentText("Listening for alerts and messages")
+            .setOngoing(true)
+            .setPriority(NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_LOW)
+            .setContentIntent(deepLinkIntent(context, null, 0))
+            .build()
+
     private fun deepLinkIntent(context: Context, route: String?, requestCode: Int): PendingIntent {
         val intent = Intent(context, MainActivity::class.java).apply {
             flags = Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/ui/nav/MainShell.kt

@@ -115,49 +115,27 @@ fun MainShell() {
     val sections = navSectionsFor(user)
     val p = BB.colors
 
-    // Background push: schedule/cancel the poll as the toggle changes.
+    // Background delivery: the 15-min poll + the live-updates foreground service,
+    // toggled together by the push preference.
     val pushEnabled by container.settings.pushEnabled.collectAsStateWithLifecycle(initialValue = true)
     LaunchedEffect(pushEnabled) {
-        if (pushEnabled) container.schedulePush() else container.cancelPush()
+        if (pushEnabled) {
+            container.schedulePush()
+            container.startLiveService()
+        } else {
+            container.cancelPush()
+            container.stopLiveService()
+        }
     }
 
-    // Live updates: keep the WebSocket connected for the whole authenticated session.
+    // Keep the WebSocket connected for the whole authenticated session; the service
-    val context = LocalContext.current
+    // raises system notifications when backgrounded — here we just keep the bell fresh.
     DisposableEffect(Unit) {
         container.live.connect()
         onDispose { /* kept alive across navigation; closed on logout */ }
     }
     LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
-        // Live notifications → bump the bell, and (when backgrounded) raise a system alert.
+        container.live.notifications.collect { shellVm.refreshUnread() }
-        launch {
-            container.live.notifications.collect { n ->
-                shellVm.refreshUnread()
-                if (!container.appForeground) {
-                    PushNotifier.notifyAlert(
-                        context,
-                        id = ("a" + n.id).hashCode(),
-                        title = n.title.ifBlank { "New alert" },
-                        body = com.anypreta.bountyboard.ui.util.htmlToPlain(n.body).ifBlank { "You have a new alert." },
-                        route = PushNotifier.routeForServerLink(n.link),
-                    )
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        // Live chat → when backgrounded and it isn't our own message, raise a system alert.
-        launch {
-            container.live.chatMessages.collect { m ->
-                val mine = m.senderId == container.session.user.value?.id
-                if (!container.appForeground && !mine) {
-                    PushNotifier.notifyMessage(
-                        context,
-                        id = ("m" + m.conversationId).hashCode(),
-                        title = "New message",
-                        body = com.anypreta.bountyboard.ui.util.htmlToPlain(m.body).ifBlank { "New message" },
-                        route = "conversation/${m.conversationId}",
-                    )
-                }
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     // Deep link from a tapped system notification.

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/ui/nav/ShellViewModel.kt

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class ShellViewModel(private val container: AppContainer) : ViewModel() {
                 container.repo.action { logout() }
             } catch (_: Exception) {
             }
+            container.stopLiveService()
             container.live.disconnect()
             container.cancelPush()
             container.clearPushState()

app/src/main/java/com/anypreta/bountyboard/ui/profile/ProfileScreen.kt

@@ -96,7 +96,13 @@ class ProfileViewModel(private val container: AppContainer) : ViewModel() {
         pushEnabled = enabled
         viewModelScope.launch {
             container.settings.setPushEnabled(enabled)
-            if (enabled) container.schedulePush() else container.cancelPush()
+            if (enabled) {
+                container.schedulePush()
+                container.startLiveService()
+            } else {
+                container.cancelPush()
+                container.stopLiveService()
+            }
         }
     }