Dialog throwing Unable to add window token null is not for an application with getApplication as context

Question

My Activity is trying to create an AlertDialog which requires a Context as a parameter. This works as expected if I use:

AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);

However, I am leery of using "this" as a context due to the potential for memory leaks when Activity is destroyed and recreated even during something simple like a screen rotation. "Unable to add window — token null is not for an application”

So, should this really be considered a "bug", since we are officially advised to use Activity.getApplication() and yet it doesn't function as advertised?

Answer 1

You can continue to use getApplicationContext(), but before use, you should add this flag: dialog.getWindow().setType(WindowManager.LayoutParams.TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT), and the error will not show.

Add the following permission to your manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW" />