How does Implicit intents work internally in Android SDK?

Implicit intents in Android allow applications to request an action from another application without specifying the exact component that should handle the request. This provides a flexible way to interact with other applications and enables the system to select the appropriate handler based on the intent data provided.

When an implicit intent is created, it includes an action that indicates what action should be performed (e.g., view, send, etc.), along with optional data and categories. Android uses the intent filters defined in the manifest files of other applications to match the intent and discover which application can handle the request.

For example, if you want to open a webpage, you can create an implicit intent with the action Intent.ACTION_VIEW and provide the URL as data. The Android system then looks for any applications that can handle this action and allows the user to choose from them.

Here's a basic example of how to create an implicit intent to open a webpage:

// Create an implicit intent to view a webpage Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW); intent.setData(Uri.parse("https://www.example.com")); startActivity(intent);

Keywords: Implicit intents Android SDK Intent filters Inter-app communication Start activity