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Deep Dive Into Activity Launch Modes in Android.

Activity Launch Modes
C
CodeWork•
08 April 2025

Activity Launch Modes

In Android, Activity Launch Modes determine how new instances of an activity are created and how they interact with existing activities. The four main launch modes are:

  • Standard (default)
  • SingleTop
  • SingleTask
  • SingleInstance

Each launch mode controls the behavior of activities when they are launched and influences the activity lifecycle differently.

To understand the interaction between the activity lifecycle and launch modes, let's break down the behavior of each mode along with a flowchart-like explanation.

Activity Lifecycle and Launch Modes

Understanding how launch modes interact with the Android activity lifecycle is crucial for building efficient applications.

Standard Launch Mode

Standard Launch Mode (Default)
Every time you launch an activity, a new instance of the activity is created and pushed onto the activity stack.

Behavior: No special restrictions on activity creation.
Lifecycle Flow: When the activity is launched, it goes through onCreate(), onStart(), onResume(), and so on.
Example: Launching the same activity from multiple places in your app will create multiple instances of the activity.

  1. Activity 1 → Activity 2 (New instance created)
  2. Activity 2 → Activity 3 (New instance created)

SingleTop Launch Mode

SingleTop mode lets an activity reuse itself if it's already on top of the stack, otherwise creates a new instance.

Behavior: If the activity is already at the top of the stack, onNewIntent() is called instead of creating a new instance.

  1. Activity 1 → Activity 2 (New instance created)
  2. Activity 2 → Activity 2 (Existing instance, onNewIntent() called)

SingleTask Launch Mode

SingleTask ensures only one instance of the activity exists in the task stack.

Behavior: If the activity exists anywhere in the stack, all activities above it are destroyed, and onNewIntent() is called.

SingleInstance Launch Mode

SingleInstance creates the activity in a separate task and ensures it's the only activity in that task.

Behavior: The activity runs in its own task, isolated from other activities.

Comparison Table

Launch ModeInstance CreationUse Case
StandardAlways creates newDefault behavior
SingleTopReuses if on topSearch activities
SingleTaskOne per taskHome screen
SingleInstanceOne in separate taskLauncher activities

Best Practices

  • Use Standard mode for most activities
  • Use SingleTop for search or filter activities
  • Use SingleTask for main/home activities
  • Use SingleInstance sparingly, only for special cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Activity Launch Modes in Android define how new instances of an activity are created and how they interact with existing ones in the back stack. The four main modes are: Standard, SingleTop, SingleTask, and SingleInstance.
The default launch mode is Standard. In this mode, every time an activity is launched, a new instance is created and added to the back stack, regardless of whether an instance already exists.
Use SingleTop when you want to reuse the current activity if it's already at the top of the stack. This avoids creating a new instance and instead triggers the onNewIntent() method.
In SingleTask mode, if an activity is already running in a task, a new instance is not created. Instead, it brings the existing instance to the foreground and clears all activities above it in the stack.
SingleTask: Only one instance exists within a task, but other activities can still be in the same task.
SingleInstance: The activity is placed in its separate task and is the only activity in that task
SingleInstance ensures only one activity per task, providing isolation and memory efficiency. It's ideal for scenarios like video players, chat windows, or login screens that should not be duplicated.
The onNewIntent() method is triggered when an activity is reused instead of recreated. This occurs in SingleTop, SingleTask, and SingleInstance modes when the existing activity is brought to the foreground.
Yes! You can set the launch mode using the android:launchMode attribute in your activity declaration within the AndroidManifest.xml.
<activity
    android:name=".YourActivity"
    android:launchMode="singleTop"
    />
The SingleTask mode is ideal for a Settings screen, as it ensures there's only one instance, avoids redundancy, and maintains user state efficiently.
Launch modes influence whether lifecycle methods like onCreate(), onStart(), or onNewIntent() are called. For example:
Standard: onCreate() is always called.
SingleTop: Skips onCreate() if activity is on top; calls onNewIntent().
SingleTask/SingleInstance: Reuses existing instance, triggers onNewIntent() if present.