1. For Regular Users: Checking Background Permissions Usage #

If you're just looking to see which apps are using these resources on your own device, here's how to do it depending on your Android version:

Network Usage #

• General path: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage > App Data Usage. Here you’ll see a breakdown of foreground vs background data for every app. Some custom skins (like Samsung One UI) let you filter directly for background data.
• Alternative: Head to Settings > Apps > [Select an App] > Data Usage to view that specific app’s background traffic stats.

Camera & Mic Usage #

• Android 12+: Look for the green dot in the top-right status bar—tap it to see exactly which app is using the camera or mic, even if it’s running in the background.
• All versions: Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Camera/Microphone. Here you’ll see all apps with access, plus a "Recent usage" section that lists apps that used the permission recently (including background usage). Custom skins might have slightly different paths—for example, Xiaomi uses Settings > Privacy Protection > Permission Management.

2. Building a Monitoring App in Android Studio #

If you want to create an app that detects background usage and lets users shut down apps, here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the key components and APIs you’ll need:

Core Modules to Implement #

You’ll need three main parts: permission usage detection, background app identification, and app control.

2.1 Detecting Camera & Mic Usage

• Android 9 (API 28) and above:
  • Mic monitoring: Use AudioManager.AudioRecordingCallback to listen for active recording sessions. This gives you the UID of the app using the mic, which you can map to a package name with PackageManager.

    val audioManager = getSystemService(AUDIO_SERVICE) as AudioManager
    val recordingCallback = object : AudioManager.AudioRecordingCallback() {
        override fun onRecordingConfigChanged(configs: MutableList<AudioRecordingConfiguration>) {
            super.onRecordingConfigChanged(configs)
            configs.forEach { config ->
                val packageName = packageManager.getNameForUid(config.clientUid)
                // Track this package as actively using the mic
            }
        }
    }
    audioManager.registerAudioRecordingCallback(recordingCallback, Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()))
    

  • Camera monitoring: Use CameraManager.AvailabilityCallback to detect when a camera is opened/closed. Pair this with UsageStatsManager to pinpoint which app is using it.

    val cameraManager = getSystemService(CAMERA_SERVICE) as CameraManager
    val cameraCallback = object : CameraManager.AvailabilityCallback() {
        override fun onCameraOpened(cameraId: String) {
            super.onCameraOpened(cameraId)
            val usageStatsManager = getSystemService(USAGE_STATS_SERVICE) as UsageStatsManager
            val endTime = System.currentTimeMillis()
            val startTime = endTime - 60000 // Check last minute of usage
            val stats = usageStatsManager.queryUsageStats(UsageStatsManager.INTERVAL_BEST, startTime, endTime)
            stats.forEach {
                if (it.lastTimeUsed >= startTime) {
                    // Cross-reference with camera open time to identify the app
                }
            }
        }
    }
    cameraManager.registerAvailabilityCallback(cameraCallback, Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()))
    

  • Android 12 (API 31) +: Use AppOpsManager to query OP_CAMERA and OP_RECORD_AUDIO ops for packages—this gives more precise background usage data without relying on callbacks.

2.2 Detecting Background Network Usage

• Use TrafficStats to get total RX/TX bytes per app UID, then track changes over time to spot background activity:

  fun getAppTraffic(packageName: String): Long {
      val uid = packageManager.getApplicationInfo(packageName, 0).uid
      return TrafficStats.getUidRxBytes(uid) + TrafficStats.getUidTxBytes(uid)
  }
  // Call this periodically and compare values to detect background network use
  

• For more granular network events, use ConnectivityManager.NetworkCallback to monitor network connections and pair it with UsageStatsManager data.

2.3 Identifying Background Apps

• API 28 and below: Use ActivityManager.getRunningAppProcesses() to get a list of running processes, then filter for background ones.
• API 29+: This method is restricted—use UsageStatsManager.queryAndAggregateUsageStats instead. Check the lastTimeUsed and totalTimeInForeground fields to determine if an app is running in the background.

2.4 Letting Users Close Apps

• To shut down background apps, use ActivityManager.killBackgroundProcesses(). This requires the KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES permission:

  val activityManager = getSystemService(ACTIVITY_SERVICE) as ActivityManager
  activityManager.killBackgroundProcesses(targetPackageName)
  

  Note: This only kills background processes—you can’t force-close foreground apps. On newer Android versions, users may need to grant additional permissions for this to work reliably.

Required Permissions #

Add these to your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS"
    tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" /> <!-- For persistent monitoring -->

The PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS permission is special—users need to enable it manually via Settings > Apps > [Your App] > Permissions > Usage access.

Key Considerations #

• Privacy & Restrictions: Android 10+ limits background monitoring—you’ll need a foreground service to keep your app running and monitoring resources.
• Battery Efficiency: Don’t monitor too frequently (e.g., check every 30 seconds instead of every second) to avoid draining the battery.
• User Trust: Be transparent about what you’re monitoring and let users choose whether to close apps—never force-close without explicit consent.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Abdul Muizz Siddiqui