FLAGACTIVITYNEWTASK

FLAGACTIVITYNEWTASK, more commonly known as Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK, is an Android Intent flag that directs the system to start the target activity in a new task on the device’s activity back stack. A task is a collection of activities that users interact with as a unit, with the launched activity becoming the root of that new task.

Value and usage context: The flag is defined in android.content.Intent and is typically used when starting an activity from a non-activity context, such as a Service, BroadcastReceiver, or content provider. When this flag is set, the system creates a new task for the started activity rather than placing it on top of the current task. Without this flag, attempting to start an activity from outside an Activity context can result in an error.

Behavior and interaction with task management: With NEW_TASK, the launched activity starts in a separate task, and its back stack is independent of the caller’s task. The exact behavior can be influenced by other manifest attributes and flags, such as taskAffinity, launchMode (for example, singleTask or singleInstance), and additional flags like FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK, which allows multiple tasks for the same affinity. In some situations, the system may reuse an existing task, but NEW_TASK primarily ensures the activity is started in a new, separate task by default.

Usage considerations: Using NEW_TASK can improve isolation of workflows or support specific navigation patterns, such as opening an activity from a notification or from a background component. However, it can also complicate back navigation if overused or combined with other flags, so it should be employed when a separate task boundary is desirable.

See also: related intent flags for task and back stack management, including FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK and FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK.