Background support for sensors APIs

[mkruisselbrink]

Currently the sensors spec does not seem to really address if and how sensors could be used in background contexts (although I see there is issue #12 which mentions sensors should be at least exposed to service workers). Are more advanced background use cases considered to be in scope for the generic sensors API? I wrote up some thoughts and use cases on what I think using a sensor from the background means. Does any of that seem like something that could or should be part of (some version of) the generic sensors API?

[tobie]

Thanks for the issue and use cases and thoughts on the topic.

This is unfortunately out of scope for V1. I'm keeping it open for V2.

[riju]

From the Android P documentation [1],

Limited access to sensors in background
Android 9 limits the ability for background apps to access user input and sensor data. If your app is running in the background on a device running Android 9, the system applies the following restrictions to your app:
Your app cannot access the microphone or camera.
Sensors that use the continuous reporting mode, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, don't receive events.
Sensors that use the on-change or one-shot reporting modes don't receive events.

[1] https://developer.android.com/about/versions/pie/android-9.0-changes-all