[Help Wanted]: Android ignores geofenceTemplate and sends default payload structure instead of custom template (works fine on iOS) + onProviderChange not triggering in background/terminated state on Android

[olabissani-98]

Required Reading

• Confirmed

Plugin Version

5.0.1

Mobile operating-system(s)

• iOS
• Android

Device Manufacturer(s) and Model(s)

SM A556E

Device operating-systems(s)

android 16

What do you require assistance about?

After upgrading to version 5.0.1, I'm experiencing two issues on Android:

geofenceTemplate is being completely ignored - Android sends the full default payload with nested objects instead of the custom template
onProviderChange event does not trigger when the app is in background or terminated state on Android

Both the geofence template feature works correctly on iOS, but the provider change issue is Android-only.

Expected Behavior (iOS - Working Correctly)
iOS sends the custom template as configured:
[
{
"mock": "false",
"userId": 6170,
"event": "geofence",
"geofenceIdentifier": "WORK",
"key": "TEST",
"lat": 33.88657231524748,
"lng": 35.51786011859788,
"timestamp": "2026-01-22T09:48:46.046Z",
"geofenceAction": "ENTER"
}
]

Actual Behavior

{
"location": [
{
"is_moving": true,
"uuid": "9bae532e-7dc2-4a7d-b60b-6c50014c76c2",
"timestamp": "2026-01-22T09:50:50.449Z",
"recorded_at": "2026-01-22T09:50:50.602Z",
"age": 0.153,
"odometer": 0,
"odometer_error": 0,
"coords": {
"latitude": 33.8865387,
"longitude": 35.5178374,
"accuracy": 11.49,
"speed": -1,
"speed_accuracy": 1.5,
"heading": -1,
"heading_accuracy": 45,
"altitude": 118.8,
"ellipsoidal_altitude": 118.8,
"altitude_accuracy": 1
},
"activity": {
"type": "still",
"confidence": 100
},
"battery": {
"is_charging": true,
"level": 0.54
},
"extras": {
"userId": 6169,
"key": "TEST"
}
}
]
}

[Optional] Plugin Code and/or Config

bg.BackgroundGeolocation.onHttp(onHttp);
  bg.BackgroundGeolocation.onProviderChange(onProviderChange);
  
  bg.BackgroundGeolocation.addGeofence(bg.Geofence(
          identifier: "WORK",
          radius: geofenceRadius,
          latitude: lat,
          longitude: lng,
          notifyOnEntry: true,
          notifyOnExit: true,
          notifyOnDwell: false))
      .then((bool success) async {
    if (success) {
      print("🟢 Geofence added successfully.");
    }
  }).catchError((error) async {
    print("Error adding geofence: $error");
  });

  bg.BackgroundGeolocation.ready(bg.Config(
    geolocation: bg.GeoConfig(
      desiredAccuracy: bg.DesiredAccuracy.high,
      distanceFilter: 10,
      locationAuthorizationRequest: "Always",
    ),
    persistence: bg.PersistenceConfig(
      maxDaysToPersist: 3,
      geofenceTemplate: '{ "lat":<%= latitude %>, "lng":<%= longitude %>,"timestamp": "<%= timestamp %>","mock": "<%= mock %>", "geofenceIdentifier":"<%= geofence.identifier %>","geofenceAction":"<%= geofence.action %>","event":"<%= event %>"}',
      extras: {
        "userId": userId,
        "key": key,
      },
      disableProviderChangeRecord: false,
    ),
    app: bg.AppConfig(
      stopOnTerminate: false,
      startOnBoot: true,
      preventSuspend: true,
      enableHeadless: true,
      backgroundPermissionRationale: bg.PermissionRationale(
          message: 'Your location information will be kept secure and will not be shared with any third-party services without your explicit consent.'),
      heartbeatInterval: 600,
    ),
    http: bg.HttpConfig(
      url:'${Generic.geofenceEvent}',,
      headers: {"content-type": "application/json"},
      rootProperty: ".",
      autoSync: true,
      batchSync: true,
    ),
    logger: bg.LoggerConfig(
      debug: true,
      logLevel: bg.LogLevel.verbose,
    ),
    activity: bg.ActivityConfig(
      activityRecognitionInterval: 0,
      stopDetectionDelay: 0,
      stopOnStationary: false,
    ),
  )).then((bg.State state) async {
    if (!state.enabled) {
      bg.BackgroundGeolocation.startGeofences();
    }
  });
}

MAIN:


@pragma('vm:entry-point')
void backgroundGeolocationHeadlessTask(bg.HeadlessEvent headlessEvent) async {
  bg.Logger.debug("====Background Headless Task:  ${headlessEvent}====");
  print('📬 --> $headlessEvent');
  
  try {
    switch (headlessEvent.name) {
      case bg.Event.GEOFENCE:
        bg.GeofenceEvent geofenceEvent = headlessEvent.event;
        print(geofenceEvent);
        break;
      case bg.Event.HTTP:
        bg.HttpEvent response = headlessEvent.event;
        print(response);
        GeofenceController.onHttp(response);
        break;
      case bg.Event.PROVIDERCHANGE:
        try {
          bg.ProviderChangeEvent event = headlessEvent.event;
          await GeofenceController.onProviderChange(event);
          print(event);
        } catch (e) {
          bg.Logger.error("Provider Change Critical Error: $e");
        }
        break;
      // ... other cases
    }
  } catch (e) {
    bg.Logger.error("====Background Headless [ ERROR ! ] Error in headless task ! : $e====");
    print("[ ERROR ! ] Error in headless task ! : $e");
  }
}

[Optional] Relevant log output

[christocracy]

I've found the problems. Fix will be released today.

[christocracy]

in about 1 hour from this post, do this:

cd android
./gradlew clean --refresh-dependencies

Verify 4.0.2

./gradlew app:dependences | grep tslocationmanager
|    +--- com.transistorsoft:tslocationmanager:4.0.+ -> 4.0.2

[olabissani-98]

Hi, I tried running the commands but I'm still getting 4.0.1 instead of 4.0.2
| +--- com.transistorsoft:tslocationmanager:4.0.+ -> 4.0.1

[christocracy]

4.0.2 is published:

https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.transistorsoft/tslocationmanager

[olabissani-98]

Hello, ./gradlew app:dependencies | grep tslocationmanager
| +--- com.transistorsoft:tslocationmanager:4.0.+ -> 4.0.2
However, I'm still facing different request behavior between iOS and Android regarding the geofence template, and the onProviderChange event is not triggering in the background and terminated states

[christocracy]

How are you testing onProviderChange? The way to test it is by toggling Settings->Location Use Location [ o].

As for geofenceTemplate, ensure you have no queued locations in the plugin's SQlite database by calling .destroyLocations(). You may have queued locations in the plugin's database that were rendered with the default template.

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 30 days with no activity.

[github-actions]

This issue was closed because it has been inactive for 14 days since being marked as stale.