[BUG] android.app.RemoteServiceException$ForegroundServiceDidNotStartInTimeException: Context.startForegroundService() did not then call Service.startForeground

[adriankoczen]

Environment

• expo-audio-studio version: 2.18.1
• Expo SDK version: 53.0.20
• Platform & OS version: Android 15 | Android 14
• Device: SM-S906B | Redmi 14C

Description

Can this issue be reproduced in the AudioPlayground app?

• Yes, on all platforms (Web, iOS, Android)
• Yes, but only on specific platforms (please specify):
• No, it only happens in my app

Is the behavior consistent across platforms?

• Yes, the issue occurs the same way on all platforms I tested
• No, the behavior differs between platforms

Only Android is affected.

Configuration

const config: RecordingConfig = {
  enableProcessing: true,
  sampleRate: 44100,
  intervalAnalysis: 200,
  channels: 1,
  encoding: "pcm_16bit"
};

Actual Behavior

The app crashes while recording, mostly after about 20 seconds.

Your app just crashed. See the error below.
android.app.RemoteServiceException$ForegroundServiceDidNotStartInTimeException: Context.startForegroundService() did not then call Service.startForeground(): ServiceRecord{4bccc2 u0 com.xxx.xxx/net.siteed.audiostream.AudioRecordingService}
  android.app.ActivityThread.generateForegroundServiceDidNotStartInTimeException(ActivityThread.java:2289)
  android.app.ActivityThread.throwRemoteServiceException(ActivityThread.java:2260)
  android.app.ActivityThread.-$$Nest$mthrowRemoteServiceException(Unknown Source:0)
  android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2554)
  android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
  android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:222)
  android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:314)
  android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8779)
  java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
  com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:569)
  com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1090)
Caused by android.app.StackTrace: Last startServiceCommon() call for this service was made here
  android.app.ContextImpl.startServiceCommon(ContextImpl.java:1963)
  android.app.ContextImpl.startForegroundService(ContextImpl.java:1917)
  android.content.ContextWrapper.startForegroundService(ContextWrapper.java:841)
  android.content.ContextWrapper.startForegroundService(ContextWrapper.java:841)
  net.siteed.audiostream.AudioRecordingService$Companion.startService(AudioRecordingService.kt:144)
  net.siteed.audiostream.AudioRecorderManager.startRecordingProcess(AudioRecorderManager.kt:924)
  net.siteed.audiostream.AudioRecorderManager.startRecording(AudioRecorderManager.kt:565)
  net.siteed.audiostream.ExpoAudioStreamModule$definition$lambda$34$$inlined$AsyncFunctionWithPromise$8.invoke(ObjectDefinitionBuilder.kt:619)
  net.siteed.audiostream.ExpoAudioStreamModule$definition$lambda$34$$inlined$AsyncFunctionWithPromise$8.invoke(ObjectDefinitionBuilder.kt:275)
  expo.modules.kotlin.functions.AsyncFunctionWithPromiseComponent.callUserImplementation$expo_modules_core_debug(AsyncFunctionWithPromiseComponent.kt:13)
  expo.modules.kotlin.functions.AsyncFunctionComponent.attachToJSObject$lambda$4$lambda$3(AsyncFunctionComponent.kt:45)
  expo.modules.kotlin.functions.AsyncFunctionComponent.$r8$lambda$WBsHNNTUGQ79nimAri8an_duSjI(Unknown Source:0)
  expo.modules.kotlin.functions.AsyncFunctionComponent$$ExternalSyntheticLambda1.invoke(D8$$SyntheticClass:0)
  expo.modules.kotlin.functions.AsyncFunctionComponent$dispatchOnQueue$1.invokeSuspend(AsyncFunctionComponent.kt:64)
  kotlin.coroutines.jvm.internal.BaseContinuationImpl.resumeWith(ContinuationImpl.kt:33)
  kotlinx.coroutines.DispatchedTask.run(DispatchedTask.kt:101)
  android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:958)
  android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
  android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:222)
  android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:314)
  android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:67)

Additional context

I want to disable background audio because the Play Store requires additional declarations. If the plugin has default values, the app doesn't crash.

[
    "@siteed/expo-audio-studio",
    {
      "enableBackgroundAudio": false
    }
]

Checklist

• I have updated to the latest version of expo-audio-studio
• I have checked the documentation
• I have tested in the official AudioPlayground app
• I have verified microphone permissions are properly set up
• I have filled out all required fields in this template

[Fox32]

I can confirm that I run into the same issue because of the configuration setting.

[easwee]

I had this same issue and it's unrelated to the actual library config. Even running with bare defaults, it still failed on a expo fresh project. I solved it by adding proper permissions to app.json as required by latest android SDK.

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "permissions": [
        "android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO",
        "android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE",
        "android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MICROPHONE"
      ],
  },
  "plugins": [
    [
      "@siteed/expo-audio-studio",
      {
        "enableForegroundService": true,
        "foregroundServiceType": "microphone"
      }
    ]
  ],
}

[texasroh]

@easwee You saved my time. Thanks!

[Chryogenic]

I'm not using the foreground service and I still get this crash!

[css459]

@easwee This fix worked for me as well, thank you!

[css459]

@abretonc7s I can also confirm this fix worked. I removed the extraneous permissions, repeated the same steps and did not receive a crash from Android. This is certainly preferred since Google requires additional justification for foreground services.