Workaround for: Implicit intents with startService are not safe

In Android 5.0 and higher (API level >= 21) the system will throw an exception if you call bindService() with an implicit intent. Here I will show you a simple workaround to change an implicit intent to an explicit intent.

Google has changed the usage of implicit intents to a start service. The reason is:

Using an implicit intent to start a service is a security hazard because you cannot be certain what service will respond to the intent, and the user cannot see which service starts.

Source: http://developer.android.com/guide/components/intents-filters.html

If your target API level is smaller than 21 you will only recive a warning: Implicit intents with startService are not safe. But the warning is justified! Malicious APPS could exploit an implicit intent and intercept messages.

Easy way to change an implict intent to an explicit intent:

• The actual java code which is binding the service we need to change:

  Intent intent = new Intent("action.name.of.a.service");
  bindService(intent, serviceConnection, Service.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
  

  Change the intent to:

  Intent intent = new Intent("action.name.of.a.service");
  intent.setPackage("the.package.of.the.service");
  bindService(intent, serviceConnection, Service.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
  

  So we only need to now the package name of the class which implements the service.

• And the service from the manifest file. We don’t need to change that:

  ```

```

And now we have an explicit intent without knowing the class which will care about the call! Great if you call a service from another app or library and you can’t name the class.