Remember that when you "close" an app is not necessary a "dead" app, when an app dissapear completely from the screen it goes to Stop state (calling onPause() and then onStop()) , then it take some time to call onFinish(), after that the app no longer exist as a reacheable app from directly onStart() to be called without making the onCreate() again, so as far as the timer still counting your app will be "alive" waiting for the counter to end and call the forSend() at onFinish() (the onFinish() from your annonymous CountDownTimer object) and the last thing the app do is the onFinish() from Activity Class of course, even if you overwrite it or not.