How does PendingIntent work internally in Android SDK?

PendingIntent is a powerful mechanism in the Android SDK that allows applications to perform actions on behalf of another application. It provides a token that you can give to another application (e.g., NotificationManager, AlarmManager, etc.), which allows that application to execute your code at a later time, even if your application is no longer running.

Essentially, a PendingIntent encapsulates an Intent and provides permission for the wrapped Intent to be executed by another application. It is particularly useful in scenarios where you want an external component, such as a system service or another application, to trigger your application’s code.

How PendingIntent Works Internally

When a PendingIntent is created, it stores the original Intent and the security permissions necessary to execute it. Internally, the Android framework manages the lifecycle of the PendingIntent, allowing it to be invoked at a later time. The structure of the PendingIntent includes the target component (an Activity, Service, or BroadcastReceiver) and the parameters needed to carry out the action specified in the Intent.

Example Usage of PendingIntent

This example demonstrates how to create a simple notification with a PendingIntent that launches an Activity when clicked:

// Create an intent to launch the activity Intent intent = new Intent(this, YourActivity.class); // Create the PendingIntent PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity( this, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT ); // Build the notification NotificationCompat.Builder builder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this, CHANNEL_ID) .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.notification_icon) .setContentTitle("Example Notification") .setContentText("Click to open your activity!") .setPriority(NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_DEFAULT) .setContentIntent(pendingIntent) // Attach the PendingIntent to the notification .setAutoCancel(true); // Dismiss notification on click // Issue the notification NotificationManagerCompat notificationManager = NotificationManagerCompat.from(this); notificationManager.notify(NOTIFICATION_ID, builder.build());

PendingIntent Android SDK Intent Notification AlarmManager Activity Service BroadcastReceiver