What do I use now that Handler() is deprecated?

Only the parameterless constructor is deprecated, it is now preferred that you specify the Looper in the constructor via the Looper.getMainLooper() method.

Use it for Java

new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).postDelayed(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        // Your Code
    }
}, 3000);

Use it for Kotlin

Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).postDelayed({
    // Your Code
}, 3000)

If you want to avoid the null check thing in Kotlin (? or !!) you can use Looper.getMainLooper() if your Handler is working with some UI related thing, like this:

Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).postDelayed({
   Toast.makeText([email protected], "LOOPER", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
}, 3000)

Note: use requireContext() instead of [email protected] if you are using fragment.

From API level 30, there are 2 constructors are deprecated.

• Handler()

• Handler(Handler.Callback)

Google explains the reason below.

Implicitly choosing a Looper during
Handler construction can lead to bugs where operations are silently
lost (if the Handler is not expecting new tasks and quits), crashes
(if a handler is sometimes created on a thread without a Looper
active), or race conditions, where the thread a handler is associated
with is not what the author anticipated. Instead, use an Executor or
specify the Looper explicitly, using Looper#getMainLooper, {link
android.view.View#getHandler}, or similar. If the implicit thread
local behavior is required for compatibility, use new
Handler(Looper.myLooper(), callback) to make it clear to readers.

Solution 1: Use an Executor

1. Execute code in the main thread.

Java

// Create an executor that executes tasks in the main thread. 
Executor mainExecutor = ContextCompat.getMainExecutor(this);

// Execute a task in the main thread
mainExecutor.execute(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        // You code logic goes here.
    }
});

Kotlin

// Create an executor that executes tasks in the main thread.
val mainExecutor = ContextCompat.getMainExecutor(this)

// Execute a task in the main thread
mainExecutor.execute {
    // You code logic goes here.
}

2. Execute code in a background thread

Java

// Create an executor that executes tasks in a background thread.
ScheduledExecutorService backgroundExecutor = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();

// Execute a task in the background thread.
backgroundExecutor.execute(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        // Your code logic goes here.
    }
});

// Execute a task in the background thread after 3 seconds.
backgroundExecutor.schedule(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        // Your code logic goes here
    }
}, 3, TimeUnit.SECONDS);

Kotlin

// Create an executor that executes tasks in a background thread.
val backgroundExecutor: ScheduledExecutorService = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor()

// Execute a task in the background thread.
backgroundExecutor.execute {
    // Your code logic goes here.
}

// Execute a task in the background thread after 3 seconds.
backgroundExecutor.schedule({
    // Your code logic goes here
}, 3, TimeUnit.SECONDS)

Note: Remember to shut down the executor after using.

backgroundExecutor.shutdown(); // or backgroundExecutor.shutdownNow();

3. Execute code in a background thread and update UI on the main thread.

Java

// Create an executor that executes tasks in the main thread. 
Executor mainExecutor = ContextCompat.getMainExecutor(this);

// Create an executor that executes tasks in a background thread.
ScheduledExecutorService backgroundExecutor = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();

// Execute a task in the background thread.
backgroundExecutor.execute(new Runnable() {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        // Your code logic goes here.
        
        // Update UI on the main thread
        mainExecutor.execute(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                // You code logic goes here.
            }
        });
    }
});

Kotlin

// Create an executor that executes tasks in the main thread. 
val mainExecutor: Executor = ContextCompat.getMainExecutor(this)

// Create an executor that executes tasks in a background thread.
val backgroundExecutor = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor()

// Execute a task in the background thread.
backgroundExecutor.execute {
    // Your code logic goes here.

    // Update UI on the main thread
    mainExecutor.execute {
        // You code logic goes here.
    }
}

Solution 2: Specify a Looper explicitly by using one of the following constructors.

• Handler(Looper)

• Handler(Looper, Handler.Callback)

1. Execute code in the main thread

1.1. Handler with a Looper

Java

Handler mainHandler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper());

Kotlin

val mainHandler = Handler(Looper.getMainLooper())

1.2 Handler with a Looper and a Handler.Callback

Java

Handler mainHandler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper(), new Handler.Callback() {
    @Override
    public boolean handleMessage(@NonNull Message message) {
        // Your code logic goes here.
        return true;
    }
});

Kotlin

val mainHandler = Handler(Looper.getMainLooper(), Handler.Callback {
    // Your code logic goes here.
    true
})

2. Execute code in a background thread

2.1. Handler with a Looper

Java

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
HandlerThread handlerThread = new HandlerThread("HandlerThread");
handlerThread.start();

// Create a handler to execute tasks in the background thread.
Handler backgroundHandler = new Handler(handlerThread.getLooper()); 

Kotlin

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
val handlerThread = HandlerThread("HandlerThread")
handlerThread.start()


// Create a handler to execute tasks in the background thread.
val backgroundHandler = Handler(handlerThread.looper)

2.2. Handler with a Looper and a Handler.Callback

Java

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
HandlerThread handlerThread = new HandlerThread("HandlerThread");
handlerThread.start();

// Create a handler to execute taks in the background thread.
Handler backgroundHandler = new Handler(handlerThread.getLooper(), new Handler.Callback() {
    @Override
    public boolean handleMessage(@NonNull Message message) {
        // Your code logic goes here.
        return true;
    }
});

Kotlin

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
val handlerThread = HandlerThread("HandlerThread")
handlerThread.start()


// Create a handler to execute taks in the background thread.
val backgroundHandler = Handler(handlerThread.looper, Handler.Callback {
    // Your code logic goes here.
    true
})

Note: Remember to release the thread after using.

handlerThread.quit(); // or handlerThread.quitSafely();

3. Execute code in a background thread and update UI on the main thread.

Java

// Create a handler to execute code in the main thread
Handler mainHandler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper());

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
HandlerThread handlerThread = new HandlerThread("HandlerThread");
handlerThread.start();

// Create a handler to execute in the background thread
Handler backgroundHandler = new Handler(handlerThread.getLooper(), new Handler.Callback() {
    @Override
    public boolean handleMessage(@NonNull Message message) {
        // Your code logic goes here.
        
        // Update UI on the main thread.
        mainHandler.post(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                
            }
        });
        
        return true;
    }
});

Kotlin

// Create a handler to execute code in the main thread
val mainHandler = Handler(Looper.getMainLooper())

// Create a background thread that has a Looper
val handlerThread = HandlerThread("HandlerThread")
handlerThread.start()

// Create a handler to execute in the background thread
val backgroundHandler = Handler(handlerThread.looper, Handler.Callback {
    // Your code logic goes here.

    // Update UI on the main thread.
    mainHandler.post {
        
    }
    true
})

The deprecated function is that constructor for Handler. Use Handler(Looper.myLooper()) .postDelayed(runnable, delay) instead