Record Video in background without preview in android

Yes, you can record the video in background .........

 First, create a app with an activity and add a service class .


service class need to be registered in your mainfest file,

like this :
   <service android:name=".BackgroundVideoRecorder"/> 




You need few permissions also,to record a video & save it to sd card:

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_VIDEO"/>
   



Your service class be like :



public class BackgroundVideoRecorder extends Service implements SurfaceHolder.Callback
{

    private WindowManager windowManager;
    private SurfaceView   surfaceView;
    private Camera        camera        = null;
    private MediaRecorder mediaRecorder = null;

    @Override
    public void onCreate()
    {

        // Start foreground service to avoid unexpected kill

        if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN)
        {
            Notification notification = new Notification.Builder(this)
                    .setContentTitle("Recording Video")
                    .setContentText("")
                    .setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_launcher)
                    .build();
            startForeground(1234, notification);

        }

        // Create new SurfaceView, set its size to 1x1, move it to the top left
 corner and set this service as a callback
        windowManager = (WindowManager) this.getSystemService(Context.WINDOW_SERVICE);
        surfaceView = new SurfaceView(this);
        WindowManager.LayoutParams layoutParams = new WindowManager.LayoutParams(
                1, 1,
                WindowManager.LayoutParams.TYPE_SYSTEM_OVERLAY,
                WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_WATCH_OUTSIDE_TOUCH,
                PixelFormat.TRANSLUCENT
        );
        layoutParams.gravity = Gravity.LEFT | Gravity.TOP;
        windowManager.addView(surfaceView, layoutParams);
        surfaceView.getHolder().addCallback(this);

    }


    boolean isFrontFacing = false;

    private Camera openFrontFacingCameraGingerbread()
    {
        if (camera != null)
        {
            camera.stopPreview();
            camera.release();
        }
        Camera cam = null;
        if (isFrontFacing && checkFrontCamera(BackgroundVideoRecorder.this))
        {
            int cameraCount = 0;
            cam = null;
            Camera.CameraInfo cameraInfo = new Camera.CameraInfo();
            cameraCount = Camera.getNumberOfCameras();
            for (int camIdx = 0; camIdx < cameraCount; camIdx++)
            {
                Camera.getCameraInfo(camIdx, cameraInfo);
                if (cameraInfo.facing == Camera.CameraInfo.CAMERA_FACING_FRONT)
                {
                    try
                    {
                        cam = Camera.open(camIdx);
                    }
                    catch (RuntimeException e)
                    {
                        Log.e("Camera",
                                "Camera failed to open: " + e.getLocalizedMessage());

                    }
                }
            }
        }
        else
        {
            cam = Camera.open();
        }
        return cam;
    }

    private Camera.Size pictureSize;

    private Camera.Size getBiggesttPictureSize(Camera.Parameters parameters)
    {
        Camera.Size result = null;

        for (Camera.Size size : parameters.getSupportedVideoSizes())
        {
            if (result == null)
            {
                result = size;
            }
            else
            {
                int resultArea = result.width * result.height;
                int newArea    = size.width * size.height;

                if (newArea > resultArea)
                {
                    result = size;
                }
            }
        }

        return (result);
    }

    // Method called right after Surface created (initializing and starting MediaRecorder)
    @Override
    public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder surfaceHolder)
    {

        camera = openFrontFacingCameraGingerbread();

        mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
        camera.unlock();


        mediaRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(surfaceHolder.getSurface());
        mediaRecorder.setCamera(camera);
        mediaRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.CAMCORDER);
        mediaRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
        mediaRecorder.setProfile(CamcorderProfile.get
(CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_LOW));


        File imagesFolder = new File(
                Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), "foldername");
        if (!imagesFolder.exists())
            imagesFolder.mkdirs(); // <----


        File image = new File(imagesFolder, System.currentTimeMillis()
                + ".mp4");  //file name + extension is .mp4


        mediaRecorder.setOutputFile(image.getAbsolutePath());

        try
        {
            mediaRecorder.prepare();
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
        }
        try
        {
            mediaRecorder.start();
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {

        }


    }

    // Stop recording and remove SurfaceView
    @Override
    public void onDestroy()
    {
        mediaRecorder.stop();
        mediaRecorder.reset();
        mediaRecorder.release();

        camera.lock();
        camera.release();

        windowManager.removeView(surfaceView);
    }

    private boolean checkFrontCamera(Context context)
    {
        if (context.getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(
                PackageManager.FEATURE_CAMERA_FRONT))
        {
            // this device has front camera
            return true;
        }
        else
        {
            // no front camera on this device
            return false;
        }
    }


    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId)
    {
        Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();

//you can pass using intent,that which camera you want to use front/rear
        isFrontFacing = extras.getBoolean("Front_Request");

        return super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
    }

    @Nullable
    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent)
    {
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder surfaceHolder, int format, int width, int height)
    {
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder surfaceHolder)
    {
    }

}




Just call this service on any event,when you want to record video.
like this :
    startService(new Intent(this, BackgroundVideoRecorder.class));




In next post ,we will use background service for capturing a image and record audio .