Cordova Autostart Plugin

Automatically start your Cordova application after device boot or application update. This plugin provides autostart functionality for Android and macOS platforms.

Features

• ✅ Android: Auto-start app after device boot
• ✅ macOS: Launch helper applications at boot
• ✅ Service Support: Start background services automatically
• ✅ Easy Control: Enable/disable autostart functionality

Supported Platforms

• Android (API level 14+)
• macOS

Installation

Install from npm

cordova plugin add @fatlirmorina/cordova-plugin-autostart

Install from GitHub

cordova plugin add https://github.com/fatlirmorina/cordova-plugin-autostart.git

Usage

Basic Autostart

document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);

function onDeviceReady() {
  // Enable autostart for your main application
  cordova.plugins.autoStart.enable();

  // Disable autostart
  // cordova.plugins.autoStart.disable();
}

Service Autostart

// Android: Start a service automatically
// The service class name should be the full class name of your service
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enableService("com.yourcompany.yourapp.YourServiceClass");

// macOS: Launch a helper application with bundle identifier
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enableService("com.yourcompany.helper-app");

API Reference

Methods

enable()

Enables autostart for your main application.

Platforms: Android

cordova.plugins.autoStart.enable();

enableService(serviceClass)

Enables autostart for a specific service or helper application.

Parameters:

• serviceClass (string):
  • Android: Full class name of the service (e.g., "com.yourcompany.yourapp.YourService")
  • macOS: Bundle identifier of the helper application

Platforms: Android, macOS

// Android
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enableService("com.yourcompany.yourapp.YourService");

// macOS
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enableService("com.yourcompany.helper-app");

disable()

Disables autostart functionality for both app and services.

Platforms: Android, macOS

cordova.plugins.autoStart.disable();

Platform-Specific Notes

Android

• Requires RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED permission (automatically added)
• App must be installed on internal storage (not SD card)
• Some Android (fireOS) versions may require users to manually enable autostart in device settings
• For some Android (fireOS) generations, additional permissions may need to be granted manually via ADB:

adb shell pm grant com.yourapp android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW

macOS

• Requires helper application to be properly signed
• May require user permission for login items
• Helper applications should be lightweight and follow macOS guidelines

Permissions

Android

The plugin automatically adds the required permission:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />

For some Android (fireOS) generations, you may need to manually grant additional permissions via ADB:

# Grant system alert window permission (if required for your app)
adb shell pm grant com.yourapp android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW

TypeScript Support

This plugin includes TypeScript definitions. Example usage:

declare var cordova: any;

// Enable autostart
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enable();

// Enable service autostart
cordova.plugins.autoStart.enableService("com.yourcompany.yourapp.YourService");

Troubleshooting

Android

• App doesn't start after reboot: Check if the app is installed on internal storage, not SD card
• Permission denied: Ensure the app has been launched at least once manually
• Battery optimization: Some devices may require disabling battery optimization for the app
• Missing permissions: For some Android generations, manually grant permissions via ADB:

  adb shell pm grant com.yourapp android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW

macOS

• Helper not launching: Check macOS Security & Privacy settings for login items
• Permission issues: Ensure helper application is properly signed

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Author

fatlirmorina

• GitHub: @fatlirmorina
• Repository: cordova-plugin-autostart

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the existing issues
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include device type, OS version, and plugin version in your report

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