android-background-task-specialist

license	Apache-2.0
name	android-background-task-specialist
description	Android background task specialist for WorkManager, Foreground Services, Doze mode, and battery optimization. Activate on: WorkManager, background task Android, Foreground Service, Doze mode, battery optimization, periodic work, background sync Android, JobScheduler. NOT for: iOS background tasks (use swiftui-data-flow-expert), React Native background (use mobile-offline-sync-architect), UI architecture (use jetpack-compose-navigation-expert).
allowed-tools	Read,Write,Edit,Bash(gradle:*,adb:*)
category	Mobile Development
tags	["android","background-tasks","workmanager","battery"]
pairs-with	[{"skill":"jetpack-compose-navigation-expert","reason":"ViewModels and UI layer coordinate with background task results"},{"skill":"mobile-offline-sync-architect","reason":"Background sync is a key offline-first pattern on Android"}]

Android Background Task Specialist

Expert in Android background execution with WorkManager, Foreground Services, Doze mode handling, and battery-efficient processing.

Activation Triggers

Activate on: "WorkManager", "background task Android", "Foreground Service", "Doze mode", "battery optimization", "periodic work", "background sync", "JobScheduler", "background processing Android"

NOT for: iOS background tasks → swiftui-data-flow-expert | React Native background → mobile-offline-sync-architect | UI architecture → jetpack-compose-navigation-expert

Quick Start

1. Choose the right API — WorkManager for deferrable work, Foreground Service for user-visible ongoing tasks, coroutines for short async work
2. Define workers — extend CoroutineWorker with suspend functions for clean async code
3. Configure constraints — network type, battery level, storage requirements
4. Handle Doze and App Standby — use WorkManager (not AlarmManager) for Doze-compatible scheduling
5. Test with adb — force Doze mode and verify work executes when constraints are met

Core Capabilities

Domain	Technologies
Deferrable Work	WorkManager 2.10, OneTimeWorkRequest, PeriodicWorkRequest
Foreground	Foreground Service types (dataSync, location, mediaPlayback, shortService)
Constraints	NetworkType, BatteryNotLow, StorageNotLow, DeviceIdle
Chaining	WorkContinuation, parallel chains, unique work policies
Testing	TestWorkerBuilder, TestListenableWorkerBuilder, WorkManagerTestInitHelper

Architecture Patterns

WorkManager Decision Tree

Is the task user-initiated and needs to complete?
  ├─ YES → Is it short (< 10 min)?
  │   ├─ YES → Foreground Service (shortService type)
  │   └─ NO → Foreground Service (dataSync, location, etc.)
  │
  └─ NO → Is it deferrable?
      ├─ YES → WorkManager
      │   ├─ One-time? → OneTimeWorkRequest
      │   └─ Periodic? → PeriodicWorkRequest (min 15 min interval)
      │
      └─ NO → Is it while app is visible?
          ├─ YES → CoroutineScope (viewModelScope or lifecycleScope)
          └─ NO → You probably need WorkManager anyway