A BroadcastReceiver in Android is a component that responds to system-wide or app-specific events, known as Intents. It allows apps to react to changes without running continuously, conserving resources. BroadcastReceivers are registered either statically via the manifest file or dynamically through code.
A common use case for BroadcastReceiver is monitoring network connectivity. When an app requires internet access, it can register a BroadcastReceiver to listen for connectivity changes and respond accordingly. For example, if the device loses connection, the app could pause data syncing until reconnected.
Example:
public class NetworkChangeReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
if (ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION.equals(intent.getAction())) {
boolean isConnected = !intent.getBooleanExtra(ConnectivityManager.EXTRA_NO_CONNECTIVITY, false);
// Handle connectivity change: pause/resume syncing
}
}
}
Register in manifest:
<receiver android:name=".NetworkChangeReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
