I'm in an android foreground service for my own little proof of concept app. I'm trying to draw over...

# compose-android

[Colton Idle]

I'm in an android foreground service for my own little proof of concept app. I'm trying to draw over other apps (I have that permission granted as well)

Doing this crashes

overlayView = ComposeView(context).apply {
  setContent {
    Text("Overlay Text", Modifier.padding(16.dp))
  }
}
val windowManager = context.getSystemService(Context.WINDOW_SERVICE) as WindowManager
windowManager.addView(overlayView, params)

with ViewTreeLifecycleOwner not found

but if I do the same code from View land then no crash. (view system code inside 🧵 ) let me know if compose just has some weird restrictions where it can't draw like that.

[Colton Idle]

If I just swap it out with the view based code then no crash. something like the below works

overlayView = LinearLayout(context).apply {
  orientation = LinearLayout.VERTICAL
  gravity = Gravity.CENTER
  addView(textView)
}

[Ben Trengrove [G]]

Because you are running outside of a ComponentActivity there are a bunch of system hooks you would have to hook up manually

[Ben Trengrove [G]]

I bet if you do some googling you'll find a code snippet that gets it working, it should be possible but just extra work

[brandonmcansh]

Something to this effect https://stackoverflow.com/a/78102901

[Colton Idle]

very interesting! let me give this a shot later today.

[Mark Murphy]

See also https://gist.github.com/handstandsam/6ecff2f39da72c0b38c07aa80bbb5a2f

[Colton Idle]

nice! Didn't know this many people were hacking around with overlay stuff

[brandonmcansh]

lol 😂 I did something for Gabb in 21 I think. Don’t have code to it anymore though :/

[Colton Idle]

Gabb?

[brandonmcansh]

Gabb.com

[brandonmcansh]

Built their messenger app (for all devices) and dialer for the new device that shipped end of last year

[Colton Idle]

oh that looks really cool!

[brandonmcansh]

For sure. Was a fun project