TTS is attached to app automatically when accessibility service and admob ads where used

Question

I am facing a strange issue when I uses adMob ads with accessibility service enabled.

Once ads where received TTS engine is automatically attached to my app and showing the TTS process as in use under Settings -> Apps -> running process. There is no logic related to TTS in my app but still TTS is being attached to my app process and not releasing it.

** Note: I have tried creating a very simple app which uses only accessibility service and admob ads which confirmed this issue.

Below is the code for accessibility service:

AndroidManifest.xml

<application
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name">
    <activity
        android:name="com.example.accessibilitytestxml.MainActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

    <service
        android:name="com.example.accessibilitytestxml.TestAccessibilityService"
        android:label="Test Accessibility XML App"
        android:permission="android.permission.BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.accessibilityservice.AccessibilityService" />
        </intent-filter>

        <!-- meta-data
            android:name="android.accessibilityservice"
            android:resource="@xml/accessibility_service_config" /-->
    </service>

     <!-- AdMob Code Start -->
    <activity
        android:name="com.google.ads.AdActivity"
        android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenLayout|uiMode|screenSize|smallestScreenSize" />
    <!-- AdMob Code End -->
</application>

MyAccessibilityService.java

public class TestAccessibilityService extends AccessibilityService {
...
    @Override
    public void onAccessibilityEvent(AccessibilityEvent event) {

      System.out.println("My event: "+event.getText().toString());
    }

    @Override
    public void onInterrupt() {
    }

    @Override
    public void onServiceConnected() {

    AccessibilityServiceInfo info = new AccessibilityServiceInfo();
    info.flags = AccessibilityServiceInfo.DEFAULT;
    info.eventTypes = AccessibilityEvent.TYPE_NOTIFICATION_STATE_CHANGED;
    info.feedbackType = AccessibilityServiceInfo.FEEDBACK_GENERIC;
    info.notificationTimeout = 100;
    info.packageNames = null;

     setServiceInfo(info);
    }    
...
}

Below is the simple code for Showing Ads:

MainActivity.java

final AdView adView = new AdView(this, AdSize.BANNER, "xxxxxxxxxxx"); 
        LinearLayout layout = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.AdLinearLayout);
        layout.addView(adView);
        adView.loadAd(new AdRequest());

Please find the console log:

09-19 22:00:46.763: I/Ads(26011): Received ad url: <url: "http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net:80/......... type: "admob" afmaNotifyDt: "null" activationOverlayUrl: "null" useWebViewLoadUrl: "false">
09-19 22:00:46.763: I/Ads(26011): Request scenario: Online server request.
09-19 22:00:47.413: D/dalvikvm(26011): GC_CONCURRENT freed 233K, 5% free 9392K/9863K, paused 1ms+7ms
09-19 22:00:47.873: D/webviewglue(26011): nativeDestroy view: 0x1b5e98
09-19 22:00:47.903: I/TextToSpeech(26011): Sucessfully bound to com.svox.classic
09-19 22:00:47.903: I/Ads(26011): onReceiveAd()
09-19 22:00:47.943: D/dalvikvm(26011): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 206K, 7% free 9205K/9863K, paused 34ms
09-19 22:00:48.123: I/TextToSpeech(26011): Connected to ComponentInfo{com.svox.classic/com.svox.classic.SvoxTtsService}

Your suggestions are highly appreciated.

Answer 1

WebView has its own JavaScript-based screen reader and connects to TTS directly when an accessibility service is enabled.