Is there a way to have two different android applications communicate? - android

I want to make it so that when my app is selected, another app will pop up. Is this possible with intent and service?

Yes it is possible.
You have a couple of ways to do this, here is two of them:
If you need some kind of long connection and need to move data between the application, you can use two services, one in each side and then communicate with Messenger object. Messenger object is use to implement a message-based communication across processes - two different applications, it's easy to use once you get the idea.
If you need only to start other app when your app is selected you can start an intent with the intent filter you set in the manifest of the app you want to start. This is what you need if you only need to start the second application, without any connection between them.
If you need to start the calculator application, you can try to do it like this:
Intent i = new Intent();
i.setClassName("com.android.calculator2", "com.android.calculator2.Calculator");
startActivity(i);

yes it is very much possible
to communicate between the apps use Content Provider
Intent can be use to launch other apps.

you can use IPC (interprocess communication). You can find the doc here

Related

How to programatically restart another android app?

Firstly, I understand that commonly this is not something that you typically want to do. However, the app I'm developing adds functionality to another app, but requires that the other app be restarted for it to work.
Is it possible to restart another app (i.e. -> user clicks a confirm button, other app is closed and reopened)? How would I accomplish this?
If it's not possible normally, would it be possible if the app has SU? How would it be accomplished then?
I found a way that no need root permission.
ComponentName componentName = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("com.xxx.yyy.zzz").getComponent();
Intent intent = IntentCompat.makeRestartActivityTask(componentName);
startActivity(intent);
There are some ways to interact with other apps through Android. Usually, intents are used for this.
You can go through this tutorial that shows what are the possible things you can do with other apps using your activity.
Especially, see the Lesson: Sending the User to Another App
I was able to uncover an answer... hopefully this will be helpful to those of you looking for the same.
Using RootTools, this is very easily done.
RootTools.killProcess(package);
Intent LaunchIntent = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage(package);
startActivity(LaunchIntent);

How to configure the android intent actions in android manifest

I have a webview in my app, on trying to do actions like making a call (Tapping call button from results displayed in webview), sending mails and other actions, my webview doesn't perform those actions
I Found a solution to add the intent actions in my web view activity as
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_DIAL, Uri.parse(url));
startActivity(intent)
Instead of doing so is there any way to add in the android manifest file
or Is there any way to turn on all of the intent actions for the webview so that
there wont be further issues in handling the actions
Can someone help me on this pls
Your answer seems to me a bit strange, I think you are a bit confuse about the difference between Intent and manifest permission. The first one are the system used by android to let app communicate with each other, the second one allow you to use some feature of the device like wifi and direct phone call that need the explicit agreement of the user to be used (the prompt that popup when you make the first install of an app).
With this clarification it is clear that if you want to do something that require another app you will have to make an Intent. This Intent, if well formed, will be elaborated by the os that will take care of sending it to the correct application able to accomplish the Intentrequirement.
So the answer to your question, as far as i know, is no, you have to use intent if you have the need of calling external app. It's also a good practice to set in the manifest only the permission really needed by the app, this way the user know what the app really can do and and what it can't do.
Hope i understand your question and answer it.

android - is it possible to use private intents instead of global ones?

background:
i've noticed that for regular activities within, it is possible for any application to open the activities of my app .
question:
is it possible to allow only my own app (or apps , or package) to send and receive intents inside the same scope , so that other application won't be able to receive them or interfere with the flow of the app?
example:
suppose i have a broadcastReceiver that listens to some kind of intent , but this intent is only meant to be used by another service/activity that resides either inside my app , or inside another app that i've created , but i don't want others to be able to use this intent.
please help me.
setPackage()
Set an explicit application package name that limits the components this Intent will resolve to. If left to the default value of null, all components in all applications will considered. If non-null, the Intent can only match the components in the given application package.
or you can use setSelector() , but not both.
suppose i have a broadcastReceiver that listens to some kind of intent , but this intent is only meant to be used by another service/activity that resides either inside my app , or inside another app that i've created , but i don't want others to be able to use this intent.
In addition to Reno's fine answer, for your specific requirement quoted above, use LocalBroadcastManager. Not only do you get the security you seek, but it is more efficient. LocalBroadcastManager is available in the Android Support package and AFAIK should work going back to Android 1.6. Here is a sample project using LocalBroadcastManager.

accessing one app from another app

Can someone explain me how to control one application from another application? I'm running a music player in an app1 using service class. And I want to stop that music player from another app.,i.e app2. But, I'm fallin short o the concept.
Depends what you need to do.
Opening another activity (or sending messages) is by using Intents:
Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.setAction(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
// ...
startActivity(intent);
Starting service is by using startService()
What you are trying to do can also be done using Intent broadcasts but only if your target app supports and listens to specific actions on the broadcast. You need to see if there is such an ACTION supported.
I'd like to continue this question a bit.
In my case, I'm developing the target app and I need to implement few simple procedure calls for the main app. Basically 'start', 'stop' and 'sendData'. As I wrote, I'm developing the target app so I can support whatever I want. Which would you say is the easiest way to handle.
The whole situation a bit more explained. Main app would like my app to start it's work, and if needed they'll request that I turn myself off and when the main app is closing it would request me to send my data forward.
I'm quite new to android development, so code snippets are preferable. Thank you.

Android Override Explicit Intent

My app needs to have a intent-filter that responds to a Intent that has it's component set (a explicit intent.) Here is a example.
Intent i = new Intent();
i.setClassName("com.compareeverywhere","com.compareeverywhere.ScanActivity");
startActivity(i);
Just a simple intent-filter will not do - because the Intent is made for a specific component (Activity,) it just launches that without looking for intents at all. Is there a way to do this?
Thanks, Isaac Waller
P.S: Please don't reply "No."
No.
:) That being said, imagine what would happen if Android allowed people to hijack Intents for specific components. Don't like a competitor's app? Just have yours hijack his main Activity with your own to display porn. Intents can specify specific components specifically because the authors don't want others to be able to replace them.
You have two options. If this is your own code, replace it with a generic intent, or if it belongs to someone else, contact them, and ask nicely for them to change it to a generic intent along with some good reasons why that is necessary.

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