FLAGCANCELCURRENT

FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT is a constant defined in the android.app.PendingIntent class. It indicates that when creating a new PendingIntent, any existing PendingIntent that matches the requested Intent will be canceled before the new one is created. This guarantees that the newly created PendingIntent is the one that will be delivered, and that older, potentially stale intents do not fire.

Usage: You typically specify this flag when you call PendingIntent.getActivity, PendingIntent.getService, or PendingIntent.getBroadcast. If a PendingIntent already exists for the same operation and Intent, the existing one is canceled and a new PendingIntent is returned. The new PendingIntent holds the provided Intent, including any updated extras or data.

When to use: Use FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT when you need to ensure the latest Intent payload is used and when you want to prevent multiple PendingIntents from accumulating. It is often used with notifications or alarms where the action should reflect the most recent state.

Differences: FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT updates the extras of the existing PendingIntent instead of canceling it. FLAG_NO_CREATE returns null if no matching PendingIntent exists. Other related flags include FLAG_ONE_SHOT and, in newer APIs, FLAG_IMMUTABLE and FLAG_MUTABLE.

Example: PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT);

Notes: The exact behavior can depend on the matching criteria of the Intent (action, data, type, class, categories) and the request code. Testing across Android versions is recommended.