Question

How do I get data within an Android Service that was passed from an invoking Activity?

Answer 1

First Context (can be Activity/Service etc)

For Service, you need to override onStartCommand there you have direct access to intent:

Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {

You have a few options:

1) Use the Bundle from the Intent:

Intent mIntent = new Intent(this, Example.class);
Bundle extras = mIntent.getExtras();
extras.putString(key, value);  

2) Create a new Bundle

Intent mIntent = new Intent(this, Example.class);
Bundle mBundle = new Bundle();
mBundle.extras.putString(key, value);
mIntent.putExtras(mBundle);

3) Use the putExtra() shortcut method of the Intent

Intent mIntent = new Intent(this, Example.class);
mIntent.putExtra(key, value);

New Context (can be Activity/Service etc)

Intent myIntent = getIntent(); // this getter is just for example purpose, can differ
if (myIntent !=null && myIntent.getExtras()!=null)
     String value = myIntent.getExtras().getString(key);
}

NOTE: Bundles have “get” and “put” methods for all the primitive types, Parcelables, and Serializables. I just used Strings for demonstrational purposes.