Problems with Android Fragment back stack

Explanation: on what's going on here?

If we keep in mind that .replace() is equal with .remove().add() that we know by the documentation:

Replace an existing fragment that was added to a container. This is essentially the same as calling remove(Fragment) for all currently added fragments that were added with the same containerViewId and then add(int, Fragment, String) with the same arguments given here.

then what's happening is like this (I'm adding numbers to the frag to make it more clear):

// transaction.replace(R.id.detailFragment, frag1);
Transaction.remove(null).add(frag1)  // frag1 on view

// transaction.replace(R.id.detailFragment, frag2).addToBackStack(null);
Transaction.remove(frag1).add(frag2).addToBackStack(null)  // frag2 on view

// transaction.replace(R.id.detailFragment, frag3);
Transaction.remove(frag2).add(frag3)  // frag3 on view

^{(here all misleading stuff starts to happen)}

Remember that .addToBackStack() is saving only transaction not the fragment as itself! So now we have frag3 on the layout:

< press back button >
// System pops the back stack and find the following saved back entry to be reversed:
// [Transaction.remove(frag1).add(frag2)]
// so the system makes that transaction backward!!!
// tries to remove frag2 (is not there, so it ignores) and re-add(frag1)
// make notice that system doesn't realise that there's a frag3 and does nothing with it
// so it still there attached to view
Transaction.remove(null).add(frag1) //frag1, frag3 on view (OVERLAPPING)

// transaction.replace(R.id.detailFragment, frag2).addToBackStack(null);
Transaction.remove(frag3).add(frag2).addToBackStack(null)  //frag2 on view

< press back button >
// system makes saved transaction backward
Transaction.remove(frag2).add(frag3) //frag3 on view

< press back button >
// no more entries in BackStack
< app exits >

Possible solution

Consider implementing FragmentManager.BackStackChangedListener to watch for changes in the back stack and apply your logic in onBackStackChanged() methode:

• Trace a count of transaction;
• Check particular transaction by name FragmentTransaction.addToBackStack(String name);
• Etc.

First of all thanks @Arvis for an eye opening explanation.

I prefer different solution to the accepted answer here for this problem. I don't like messing with overriding back behavior any more than absolutely necessary and when I've tried adding and removing fragments on my own without default back stack poping when back button is pressed I found my self in fragment hell :) If you .add f2 over f1 when you remove it f1 won't call any of callback methods like onResume, onStart etc. and that can be very unfortunate.

Anyhow this is how I do it:

Currently on display is only fragment f1.

f1 -> f2

Fragment2 f2 = new Fragment2();
this.getActivity().getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction().replace(R.id.main_content,f2).addToBackStack(null).commit();

nothing out of the ordinary here. Than in fragment f2 this code takes you to fragment f3.

f2 -> f3

Fragment3 f3 = new Fragment3();
getActivity().getSupportFragmentManager().popBackStack();
getActivity().getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction().replace(R.id.main_content, f3).addToBackStack(null).commit();

I'm not sure by reading docs if this should work, this poping transaction method is said to be asynchronous, and maybe a better way would be to call popBackStackImmediate(). But as far I can tell on my devices it's working flawlessly.

The said alternative would be:

final FragmentActivity activity = getActivity();
activity.getSupportFragmentManager().popBackStackImmediate();
activity.getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction().replace(R.id.main_content, f3).addToBackStack(null).commit();

Here there will actually be brief going back to f1 beofre moving on to f3, so a slight glitch there.

This is actually all you have to do, no need to override back stack behavior...

It seems as though fragment [3] is not removed from the view when back is pressed so you have to do it manually!

First of all, don't use replace() but instead use remove and add separately. It seems as though replace() doesn't work properly.

The next part to this is overriding the onKeyDown method and remove the current fragment every time the back button is pressed.

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event)
{
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_BACK)
    {
        if (getSupportFragmentManager().getBackStackEntryCount() == 0)
        {
            this.finish();
            return false;
        }
        else
        {
            getSupportFragmentManager().popBackStack();
            removeCurrentFragment();

            return false;
        }



    }

    return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
}


public void removeCurrentFragment()
{
    FragmentTransaction transaction = getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction();

    Fragment currentFrag =  getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.detailFragment);


    String fragName = "NONE";

    if (currentFrag!=null)
        fragName = currentFrag.getClass().getSimpleName();


    if (currentFrag != null)
        transaction.remove(currentFrag);

    transaction.commit();

}