Timed Background Task in Windows Store App?

Question

I want a background task that runs in my Windows 8 app, for example, every 30 mins. What this task does is refresh the cached data that the app uses. This should run asynchronously and not interfere with what the user is doing.

I read about the BackgroundTask and Timer that can be used, however, it seems that it can only be used if the app is placed in the lockscreen.

Is there another way to do what I want to do without adding the app to the lockscreen? Users rarely lock the screen since the app is generally active.

Thank you!

Answer 1

There is no trick to work around Background Timer without a screen-enabled app.

What this task does is refresh the cached data that the app uses

If you want to refresh the cache data when the app is still active, you can use the DispatcherTimer instead of background timer.