iOS [iPhone] how to put active app in background and perform some action while app is in background

amit_joshi 2016-09-22 07:26:28 UTC #1

iOS [iPhone] how to put active app in background and perform some action while app is in background. Action here refers to changing some settings or accessing some other app.

Aleksei 2016-09-22 07:29:39 UTC #2

real device or Simulator?

amit_joshi 2016-09-22 07:31:15 UTC #3

I am using real device. Iphone6.

Aleksei 2016-09-22 07:35:34 UTC #4

on real device you will not be able to do anything with another app.

amit_joshi 2016-09-22 07:36:42 UTC #5

So is there any way to do with Simulator?

Aleksei 2016-09-22 07:37:09 UTC #6

Settings yes. Another app did not try.

amit_joshi 2016-09-22 07:38:15 UTC #7

Can you paste a code snippet. I did give a try but I was not able to perform any action while my app is in background.

Aleksei 2016-09-22 07:50:14 UTC #8

how to press home key:

public void pressHomeButton() {
    try {
        String[] args = {"osascript", "-e", "tell application \"System Events\" \n tell application \""+simulatorAppName()+"\" to activate \n tell application \"System Events\" to keystroke \"h\" using {command down, shift down} \n end tell"};
        Process process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(args);
        BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(
                new InputStreamReader(process.getErrorStream()));
        String lsString;
        while ((lsString = bufferedReader.readLine()) != null) {
            System.out.println(lsString);
        }

        try{Thread.sleep(200);}catch (Exception e1){}
    } catch (Exception e) {}
}

tap on settings icon:

((AppiumDriver) driver).tap(1, driver.findElements(By.name("Settings")).get(0), 200);

As far as By.name not supported any more use another way.

amit_joshi 2016-09-22 07:53:22 UTC #9

Thanks Aleksei for respone!
I will try this out.

Telmo_Cardoso 2017-09-22 21:52:00 UTC #10

Hi,

sorry for bump on old thread, but it would be good for community to know that now it is possible to go to background in iOS:

driver.runAppInBackground(Duration.ofSeconds(-1));

After going to background, I can easily now go to settings and change whatever I need much more quickly than with my old “trick”

Was added in java-client in here:

Jitu1888 2017-10-05 05:16:31 UTC #11

Ok thanks for the information. Then this will be easy to do.
@Telmo_Cardoso