Binding QtService on Android from a native application

[software.it]

I'm trying to bind a QtService on android from a native application. I'm using Qt 5.12.9 and android api 30 (testing the application on android 11)

The service is defined as the follows:

package com.xyz.ndservice;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.util.Log;
import android.app.Service;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.NotificationChannel;
import android.app.NotificationManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Build;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.os.Binder;
import android.os.Messenger;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.Message;
import android.widget.Toast;
import org.qtproject.qt5.android.bindings.QtService;

public class NDAndroidService extends QtService
{
    private static final String TAG = "NDAndroidService";
    private final IBinder binder = new NDAndroidServiceBinder();

    static {
        System.loadLibrary("NDService");
    }

    public native void startND();
    public native void stopND();

    public class NDAndroidServiceBinder extends Binder {
            NDAndroidService getService() {
                
                return NDAndroidService.this;
            }
        }

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        Log.i(TAG, "Creating Service");
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        stopND();
        Log.i(TAG, "Destroying Service");
        super.onDestroy();
    }

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);

        Log.i(TAG, "Service started");
        startND();
        return Service.START_STICKY;
    }

    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        return binder;
    }
}

In the manifest I have:

<service android:name=".NDAndroidService" android:process=":qt_service">
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.qt_sources_resource_id" android:resource="@array/qt_sources"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.repository" android:value="default"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.qt_libs_resource_id" android:resource="@array/qt_libs"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_libs_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_libs"/>
            <!-- Deploy Qt libs as part of package -->
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundle_local_qt_libs" android:value="-- %%BUNDLE_LOCAL_QT_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_in_lib_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_in_lib"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_in_assets_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_in_assets"/>
            <!-- Run with local libs -->
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.use_local_qt_libs" android:value="-- %%USE_LOCAL_QT_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.libs_prefix" android:value="/data/local/tmp/qt/"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.load_local_libs" android:value="-- %%INSERT_LOCAL_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.load_local_jars" android:value="-- %%INSERT_LOCAL_JARS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.static_init_classes" android:value="-- %%INSERT_INIT_CLASSES%% --"/>
            <!-- <meta-data android:name="android.app.static_init_classes" android:value=""/> -->
            <!-- Run with local libs -->
            <!-- Background running -->
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.background_running" android:value="true"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.arguments" android:value="-service"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.lib_name" android:value="-- %%INSERT_APP_LIB_NAME%% --"/>
        </service>

and the main.cpp is the follow:

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    if(argc <= 1)
    {

        QApplication a(argc, argv);
        MainWindow w;
        w.show();

        return a.exec();
    }else if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "-service") == 0) {
        QAndroidService app(argc, argv);
        return app.exec();
    } else {
        return -1;
    }
}


extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_xyz_ndservice_NDAndroidService_startND()
{
    /* Start something */
    ...
}

extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_xyz_ndservice_NDAndroidService_stopND()
{
    /* Stop something */
    ....
}

When I try to bind the service from a native application with the following code:

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    Intent bi = new Intent("com.xyz.ndservice.NDAndroidService");
    bi.setPackage("com.xyz.ndservice");
    bindService(bi, mServerConn, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
}

I get this error from the logcat

2021-03-24 16:36:35.625 5129-5566/? W/ActivityManager: Unable to start service Intent { act=com.xyz.ndservice.NDAndroidService pkg=com.xyz.ndservice } U=0: not found

Can you help me to understand why I have the error above?