Android 15 Warning – Restricted Foreground Service Started from BOOT_COMPLETED by WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService

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1

We are receiving a Google Play Console warning when uploading our app targeting Android 15 (API 35).

The Play Console reports that the app is starting a restricted foreground service from a BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast receiver, which is not allowed starting in Android 15.

According to the report, this behavior is triggered from the following class:

com.oney.WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService.onStartCommand

This appears to be coming from the WebRTC module that is used internally by the CometChat Calls SDK.

If this is not fixed, apps targeting Android 15 may crash on user devices.

Play Console Warning:

Restricted foreground service types
Apps targeting Android 15 or later cannot use BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast receivers to launch certain foreground service types. Doing this will cause your app to crash for users on Android 15 and later.

Your app starts restricted foreground service types using BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast receivers in the following place:

com.oney.WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService.onStartCommand

SDK Versions Used:

CometChat Android SDK: 4.2.0
CometChat Calls SDK: 4.2.0

App Configuration:

Target SDK: Android 15 (API 35)

Expected Behavior:
The CometChat SDK should comply with Android 15 foreground service restrictions and should not start restricted foreground services from BOOT_COMPLETED receivers.

Actual Behavior:
Play Console detects a restricted foreground service started during boot, which may cause crashes on Android 15 devices.

Request:
Please confirm the following:

  1. Whether this issue has already been fixed in a newer CometChat SDK version.
  2. If there is any recommended workaround for apps targeting Android 15.
  3. Whether an SDK update is required to support Android 15 foreground service restrictions.

Additional Context:

This issue is detected during Play Store submission under Technical Quality checks.

Release Name: 20010 (2.0.10)

2

Hello,

We are currently looking into the query you have raised, please allow us some time. We will get back to you once we have an update.

We appreciate your patience.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
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CometChat

3

Request #43175 “Android 15 Warning – Restricted …” was closed and merged into this request. Last comment in request #43175:

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out with your concerns! I am Aruna from the Support team.

Please allow me some time to check this with the team and get back to you with an update soon.

Regards

Aruna

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CometChat

4

Hello,

We already have an existing ticket for this issue (#43174). I’m merging the current ticket(43175) with that one so everything stays in a single thread.

Our team is already looking into it and will provide updates there as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience.

Regards

Aruna

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CometChat

5

Hello Jay,

We attempted to reproduce the reported issue using our sample application with the same SDK versions, but we were unable to replicate the warning on our end.

To help us investigate this further, could you please share the following details with us:

  • Your app’s build.gradle file (app-level)
  • The relevant AndroidManifest.xml file
    Having this information will help us better understand your app configuration and allow us to investigate the issue more effectively.

We look forward to your response so we can assist you further.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
Sign up for service and maintenance updates.
CometChat

6

Sure please check the attachments

7

Hello Jay,

We attempted to reproduce the reported warning using our sample application with the same SDK versions (CometChat Android SDK 4.2.0 and Calls SDK 4.2.0), but we were unable to replicate the warning on our end.

Based on our analysis, the warning appears to be related to com.oney.WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService, which originates from the WebRTC module used internally by the Calls SDK. This behaviour is associated with the WebRTC module itself rather than being directly triggered by the CometChat SDK.

Could you please try adding the following entry to your app’s AndroidManifest.xml to remove the MediaProjectionService from the merged manifest and check if the warning still appears?

<service android:name="com.oney.WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService" tools:node="remove" />

After applying this change, please rebuild the application and verify whether the Play Console warning persists. If it still appears, please let us know and we will be happy to investigate this further with you.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
Sign up for service and maintenance updates.
CometChat

8

This warning does not appear while generating the build; it only shows up after I publish the build. Or is there any way to check or reproduce this issue?

and also let me know the impacted area of this asap

9

Hello Jay,

To clarify, we also tested this by publishing the app to the Google Play Console, not just by generating a local build. However, we were still unable to reproduce the warning on our end.

As mentioned in earlier, could you please try adding the following service entry in your app’s AndroidManifest.xml:

<service android:name="com.oney.WebRTCModule.MediaProjectionService" tools:node="remove" />

After adding this, please generate a new build and publish it again to the Play Console to check whether the warning still appears.

Also, please note that adding this entry will not affect the calling functionality in your application.

Once you have tried this, please let us know the outcome and we will be happy to assist you further if needed.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
Sign up for service and maintenance updates.
CometChat

10

Okay, in my current build this issue still exists, so will it impact my current users?

It’s coming from CometChat, which is why I’m concerned.

11

Hello Jay,

The warning you’re seeing will not impact your current users or the calling functionality of your application. Even if the warning appears in the Play Console after publishing the build, it does not affect the runtime behavior of the app, including CometChat’s calling features.

This warning is related to how certain services are declared in the manifest, but it does not interfere with audio/video calling, messaging, or any other CometChat functionality used by your users.

Our team has reviewed this internally and shared the details with our Engineering team. This has been added to our Bug Resolution Queue, and the team will be looking into it further. We’ll keep you posted on any updates and will let you know as soon as a fix is rolled out.

Please feel free to let us know if you have any other concerns or if you notice anything unusual after publishing. We’ll be happy to assist further.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
Sign up for service and maintenance updates.
CometChat

12

Okay so basically its a safe no need to action from our side correct ??

13

Hello Jay,

Yes, that’s correct; this warning is safe, and it will not impact your current users or the functionality of your app.

Although the warning appears in the Play Console after publishing the build, it does not affect the runtime behavior of the application or the calling features provided through CometChat. Your existing users will continue to use the app normally without any impact on messaging or audio/video calling.

Let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. We’ll be happy to assist.

Regards,

Hritika Naik
Sign up for service and maintenance updates.
CometChat

14

Okay thank you for clerification

15

Okay thank you for Clerification