Develop Reference

How to finish Activity in flow, Flow Control

Now I have HomeActivity -> Activity A -> Activity B -> Activity C
After I finish Activity C I expect to see HomeActivity. How can I handle this flow with Intent Flags or any other suggestions?
edit
But Activity A and Activity B should be removed from the stack when Activity C appear.
Activity A B and C this a workflow, So A can go to B and B can go back to A to edit something, After I Submit in B then A and B should be gone and show C as a confirmation

Using launch modes you can achieve this.
use Single Task for the Activity C in manifest file
<activity android:name=".ActivityC"
android:launchMode="singleTask">

Use this code
Intent intent = new Intent(ActivityC.this, HomeActivity.class);
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
startActivity(intent);
finish(); // call this to finish the current activity

You should use
setFlags(...)
finish();
If set in an Intent passed to Context.startActivity(), this flag will
cause any existing task that would be associated with the activity to
be cleared before the activity is started. That is, the activity
becomes the new root of an otherwise empty task, and any old
activities are finished. This can only be used in conjunction with
FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK.
Code Structure
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
startActivity(intent);
finish();

You should kill the activity before starting the next one.
Intent intent = new Intent(ActivityC.this, HomeActivity.class);
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
startActivity(intent);
finish();

Finish all activities

I do start an activity A using intent from within aPreferenceScreen. What I do want to do is pretty simple. Depending on some actions the user may take I want to finish all previous activities and start the LoginActivity. Something like restarting the whole application.

Use Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK flag in intent to clear all the activities in the stack
Intent i = new Intent(CurrentActivity.this, NewActivity.class);
i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK)
startActivity(i);

Just use finishAffinity() after startActivity().

Just use finishAffinity() after startActivity()

Android Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK do not work from Dialog

I don't want user to be able to go somewhere back from my LoginActivity.
This works nice from MainActivity (from Navigation Drawer):
Intent intent = new Intent(this, LoginActivity.class);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);
finish();
Result - back stack is cleared.
But when I'm trying to call this from my custom Dialog:
private Context mContext;
Intent intent = new Intent(mContext, LoginActivity.class);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
dismiss();
mContext.startActivity(intent);
((Activity)mContext).finish();
back stack isn't clear, I can go back from my LoginActivity to previous window.
Tried to search the reason, but no result till now.

Try clearing your activity stack:
Set android:noHistory= "true" in your AndroidManifest.xml file in the <activity tag for the login activity.
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/R.styleable.html#AndroidManifestActivity_noHistory

I had a similar problem and adding android:launchMode="singleTop" to my activity in AndroidManifest.xml did the work.
I took the idea from this question

Why does FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP not work?

As the title says, Why intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP) or intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP) won't work?
I have 3 Activities let us say A, B and C.
When I am trying to launch Activity A from C with code:
Intent i = new Intent(this, A.class);
i.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
startActivity(i);
It simply starts Activity A but doesn't clear the top.! -_-
I have also tried using setFlags().
I read different questions on SO about this problem, but I couldn't find the right answer. >_<
Somebody please help!
Edit
Code for onBackPressed() in activity 'A' as requested by #codeMagic.
#Override
public void onBackPressed(){
if(wvLogin.canGoBack())
wvLogin.goBack();
else
super.onBackPressed();
}

From the documentation for FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP:
If set, and the activity being launched is already running in the
current task, then instead of launching a new instance of that
activity, all of the other activities on top of it will be closed and
this Intent will be delivered to the (now on top) old activity as a
new Intent.
As you added in your comment, the activity A has been finished before calling B, so this situation doesn't apply. A new instance of activity A will be launched instead.
As I see it, you have two options here:
1) Use the Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK flags. This will start activity A as the root of the stack. It works, but any other activities in the stack will be lost. Assuming A was the first activity (or at least, that you are not interested in any previous activities in the task stack) then it doesn't matter. Note: CLEAR_TASK requires API Level 11.
2) Another possible solution (in case the previous assumption is not true) would be to not use intent flags at all:
B starts C with startActivityForResult().
Instead of calling A, C finishes, having set a result for B indicating that A must be launched.
In B.afterActivityResult(), finish B and launch A.

You are missing the Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP flag
Try this:
Intent i = new Intent(this, A.class);
i.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP);
startActivity(i);

You used a diferrent intent: use the one you initialized:
Intent i = new Intent(this, A.class);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP); \\WRONG;;
startActivity(i);
solution:
i.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP); \\RIGHT;;
You could either put a noHistory true to the Activity A in the manifest
android:noHistory=true

Clear the entire history stack and start a new activity on Android

Is it possible to start an activity on the stack, clearing the entire history before it?
The situation
I have an activity stack that either goes A->B->C or B->C (screen A selects the users token, but many users only have a single token).
In screen C the user may take an action which makes screen B invalid, so the application wants to take them to screen A, regardless of whether it is already in the stack. Screen A should then be the only item on the stack in my application.
Notes
There are many other similar questions, but I haven't found anything that answers this exact question. I tried calling getParent().finish() - this always results in a null pointer exception. FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP only works if the activity is already on the stack.

In API level 11 a new Intent Flag was added just for this: Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
Just to clarify, use this:
Java
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
Kotlin
intent.flags = Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
Unfortunately for API lvl <= 10, I haven't yet found a clean solution to this.
The "DontHackAndroidLikeThis" solution is indeed pure hackery. You should not do that. :)
Edit:
As per #Ben Pearson's comment, for API <=10 now one can use IntentCompat class for the same. One can use IntentCompat.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK flag to clear task. So you can support pre API level 11 as well.

Case 1:Only two activity A and B:
Here Activity flow is A->B .On clicking backbutton from B we need to close the application then while starting Activity B from A just call finish() this will prevent android from storing Activity A in to the Backstack.eg for activity A is Loding/Splash screen of application.
Intent newIntent = new Intent(A.this, B.class);
startActivity(newIntent);
finish();
Case 2:More than two activitiy:
If there is a flow like A->B->C->D->B and on clicking back button in Activity B while coming from Activity D.In that case we should use.
Intent newIntent = new Intent(D.this,B.class);
newIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
newIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(newIntent);
Here Activity B will be started from the backstack rather than a new instance because of Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP and Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK clears the stack and makes it the top one.So when we press back button the whole application will be terminated.

With Android's Newer Version >= API 16 use finishAffinity()
approach is suitable for >= API 16.
Intent mIntent = new Intent(mContext,MainActivity.class);
finishAffinity();
startActivity(mIntent);
Its is same as starting new Activity, and clear all stack.
OR Restart to MainActivity/FirstActivity.

I spent a few hours on this too ... and agree that FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP sounds like what you'd want: clear the entire stack, except for the activity being launched, so the Back button exits the application. Yet as Mike Repass mentioned, FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP only works when the activity you're launching is already in the stack; when the activity's not there, the flag doesn't do anything.
What to do? Put the activity being launching in the stack with FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK, which makes that activity the start of a new task on the history stack. Then add the FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP flag.
Now, when FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP goes to find the new activity in the stack, it'll be there and be pulled up before everything else is cleared.
Here's my logout function; the View parameter is the button to which the function's attached.
public void onLogoutClick(final View view) {
Intent i = new Intent(this, Splash.class);
i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
startActivity(i);
finish();
}

Immediately after you start a new activity, using startActivity, make sure you call finish() so that the current activity is not stacked behind the new one.

You shouldn't change the stack. Android back button should work as in a web browser.
I can think of a way to do it, but it's quite a hack.
Make your Activities singleTask by adding it to the AndroidManifest
Example:
<activity android:name=".activities.A"
android:label="#string/A_title"
android:launchMode="singleTask"/>
<activity android:name=".activities.B"
android:label="#string/B_title"
android:launchMode="singleTask"/>
Extend Application which will hold the logic of where to go.
Example:
public class DontHackAndroidLikeThis extends Application {
private Stack<Activity> classes = new Stack<Activity>();
public Activity getBackActivity() {
return classes.pop();
}
public void addBackActivity(Activity activity) {
classes.push(activity);
}
}
From A to B:
DontHackAndroidLikeThis app = (DontHackAndroidLikeThis) getApplication();
app.addBackActivity(A.class);
startActivity(this, B.class);
From B to C:
DontHackAndroidLikeThis app = (DontHackAndroidLikeThis) getApplication();
app.addBackActivity(B.class);
startActivity(this, C.class);
In C:
If ( shouldNotGoBackToB() ) {
DontHackAndroidLikeThis app = (DontHackAndroidLikeThis) getApplication();
app.pop();
}
and handle the back button to pop() from the stack.
Once again, you shouldn't do this :)

Advanced Reuseable Kotlin:
You can set the flag directly using setter method. In Kotlin or is the replacement for the Java bitwise or |.
intent.flags = FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
If you plan to use this regularly, create an Intent extension function
fun Intent.clearStack() {
flags = Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
}
You can then directly call this function before starting the intent
intent.clearStack()
If you need the option to add additional flags in other situations, add an optional param to the extension function.
fun Intent.clearStack(additionalFlags: Int = 0) {
flags = additionalFlags or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
}

Try below code,
Intent intent = new Intent(ManageProfileActivity.this, LoginActivity.class);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP|
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK|
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);

Try this:
Intent logout_intent = new Intent(DashboardActivity.this, LoginActivity.class);
logout_intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
logout_intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
logout_intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY);
startActivity(logout_intent);
finish();

For me none of the above methods not work.
Just do this to clear all previous activity:
finishAffinity() // if you are in fragment use activity.finishAffinity()
Intent intent = new Intent(this, DestActivity.class); // with all flags you want
startActivity(intent)

Intent i = new Intent(MainPoliticalLogin.this, MainActivity.class);
i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
startActivity(i);

In Java: -
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(),ChooseServiceActivity.class)
.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK));

Sometimes your android emulator might fails to connect eclipse DDMS tool and ask for adb to start manually. In that case you can start or stop the adb using the command prompt.

I found too simple hack just do this add new element in AndroidManifest as:-
<activity android:name=".activityName"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:noHistory="true"/>
the android:noHistory will clear your unwanted activity from Stack.