Service in Android A Service is an application component that can perform long-running operations in the background, and it doesn't provide a user interface. Another application component can start a service, and it continues to run in the background even if the user switches to another application. Additionally, a component can bind to a service to interact with it and even perform inter process communication (IPC). For example, a service can handle network transactions, play music, perform file I/O, or interact with a content provider, all from the background. These are the three different types of services: Foreground A foreground service performs some operation that is noticeable to the user. For example, an audio app would use a foreground service to play an audio track. Foreground services must display a Notification . Foreground services continue running even when the user isn't interacting with the app. Background A background service performs a