Encountering NetworkOnMainThreadException with Google Drive API on Android

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1

Hey folks, I’m having trouble with a NetworkOnMainThreadException in my Android app. I’m using the Google Drive API and it’s giving me headaches.

My app works fine on an Android 2.3.3 emulator, but it crashes on Genymotion running Android 4.1.1. Here’s a snippet of what I’m trying to do:

String authCode = userInput.getStringExtra("authCode");
GoogleAuthResponse authResponse;
try {
    authResponse = authFlow.newTokenRequest(authCode).setRedirectUri(REDIRECT_URI).execute();
    GoogleAuth auth = new GoogleAuth.Builder()
    .setTransport(httpTransport)
    .setJsonFactory(jsonFactory)
    .setClientInfo(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
    .build()
    .setFromAuthResponse(authResponse);
    
    driveApi = new DriveAPI.Builder(httpTransport, jsonFactory, auth).build();
} catch (IOException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

The logcat shows a NetworkOnMainThreadException. I’ve added the INTERNET permission to my manifest, but it’s still not working. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks!

2

hey man, i had the same problem. try using coroutines if ur using kotlin. they’re pretty neat for this kinda stuff. just wrap ur network calls in a launch block and ur good to go. something like:

launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
// ur network stuff here
}

hope this helps!

3

I’ve faced this issue before, and it’s a common pitfall when working with network operations on Android. The NetworkOnMainThreadException occurs because you’re attempting to perform network operations on the main UI thread, which can lead to unresponsive apps.

To resolve this, you need to move your network calls to a background thread. There are several ways to do this, but I’ve found AsyncTask to be straightforward for simpler operations.

Here’s a quick example of how you could modify your code:

new AsyncTask<String, Void, DriveAPI>() {
    @Override
    protected DriveAPI doInBackground(String... params) {
        String authCode = params[0];
        try {
            GoogleAuthResponse authResponse = authFlow.newTokenRequest(authCode).setRedirectUri(REDIRECT_URI).execute();
            GoogleAuth auth = new GoogleAuth.Builder()
                .setTransport(httpTransport)
                .setJsonFactory(jsonFactory)
                .setClientInfo(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
                .build()
                .setFromAuthResponse(authResponse);
            
            return new DriveAPI.Builder(httpTransport, jsonFactory, auth).build();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            return null;
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPostExecute(DriveAPI api) {
        if (api != null) {
            driveApi = api;
            // Continue with your app logic here
        }
    }
}.execute(authCode);

This approach should resolve the NetworkOnMainThreadException. Remember to handle potential exceptions and update your UI accordingly in the onPostExecute method.

4

I encountered a similar issue when working with the Google Drive API. The NetworkOnMainThreadException is indeed tricky, especially on newer Android versions.

Instead of AsyncTask, which is now deprecated, I’d recommend using Kotlin coroutines or Java’s ExecutorService for background threading. Here’s a quick example using ExecutorService:

ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
Handler handler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper());

executor.execute(() -> {
    try {
        GoogleAuthResponse authResponse = authFlow.newTokenRequest(authCode).setRedirectUri(REDIRECT_URI).execute();
        GoogleAuth auth = new GoogleAuth.Builder()
            .setTransport(httpTransport)
            .setJsonFactory(jsonFactory)
            .setClientInfo(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
            .build()
            .setFromAuthResponse(authResponse);
        
        DriveAPI api = new DriveAPI.Builder(httpTransport, jsonFactory, auth).build();
        
        handler.post(() -> {
            driveApi = api;
            // Continue with your app logic here
        });
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
});

This approach is more modern and flexible. Remember to shut down the executor when you’re done with it.