Handle download intents in my app

Question

My webview app already handles external URL's fine (opens links from external apps like viber, browsers, etc) like this- (i got this code from here)

// get URL from browsable intent filter
    TextView uri = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.urlField);
    // get the url
    url = getIntent().getDataString();
    Uri data = getIntent().getData();
    if (data == null) {
        uri.setText("");
    } else {
        uri.setText(getIntent().getData().toString());
        fadeout();
    }
    // }

in my webview settings

// Load URL from Browsable intent filter if there is a valid URL pasted
    if (uri.length() > 0)
        webView.loadUrl(url);
    else
        // dont load

this is how i handle downloads within my webview

// download manager
    webView.setDownloadListener(new DownloadListener() {
        @Override
        public void onDownloadStart(String url, String userAgent,
                String contentDisposition, String mimeType,
                long contentLength) {
            DownloadManager.Request request = new DownloadManager.Request(
                    Uri.parse(url));
            request.setMimeType(mimeType);
            String cookies = CookieManager.getInstance().getCookie(url);
            request.addRequestHeader("cookie", cookies);
            request.addRequestHeader("User-Agent", userAgent);
            request.setDescription("Downloading file...");
            request.setTitle(URLUtil.guessFileName(url, contentDisposition,
                    mimeType));
            request.allowScanningByMediaScanner();
            request.setNotificationVisibility(DownloadManager.Request.VISIBILITY_VISIBLE_NOTIFY_COMPLETED);
            request.setDestinationInExternalPublicDir(
                    Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS, URLUtil.guessFileName(
                            url, contentDisposition, mimeType));
            DownloadManager dm = (DownloadManager) getSystemService(DOWNLOAD_SERVICE);
            dm.enqueue(request);
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Downloading File",
                    Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }
    });
    // download manager

However, I'd like to handle that download intents passed by other apps as well. How do i do that?

This is what i use to open the system default app chooser from another app.(my app is listed here)-

   // download via...
    webView.setDownloadListener(new DownloadListener() {
        public void onDownloadStart(String url, String userAgent,
                String contentDisposition, String mimetype,
                long contentLength) {
            Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
            i.setData(Uri.parse(url));
            startActivity(i);
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "don't choose our app as it can't handle download intents, i have posted a question on stackoverflow though.",
                    Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }
    });
    // download via..

Whenever i click a download link, my app opens, but just sits still instead of opening the url. I want it to act like a downloader app

Answer 1

You need to put below code in your activity which response the intent,

void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    // Get intent, action and MIME type
    Intent intent = getIntent();
    String action = intent.getAction();
    String type = intent.getType();

    if (Intent.ACTION_VIEW.equals(action))
    {
        */if (type.startsWith("image/“))
          {*/
            downloadImage(intent); // Download image being sent
        }
    }

void downloadImage(Intent intent) {
    Uri imageUri = (Uri) intent.getParcelableExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM);
    if (imageUri != null) {
        // Write Your Download Code Here
    }
}

Answer 2

you have to solve issues to

• (a) always show the chooser
• (b) tell android that your app should become part of the chooser
• (c) process the "download"

(a) always show the chooser

replace

startActivity(i);

with

startActivity(Intent.createChooser(i, "caption of the choser"));

(b) tell android that your app should become part of the chooser

In the manifest you have to declare that you have an activity that can handle the relevant content

<manifest ... >
    <application ... >
        <activity android:name=".MyDownloadActivity" ...>
            <intent-filter >
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SENDTO" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

                <data
                    android:mimeType="*/*"
                    android:scheme="file" />
            </intent-filter>
            <intent-filter > <!-- mime only SEND(_TO) -->
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SENDTO" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.CATEGORY_OPENABLE" />

                <!--
                these do not work :-(
                <data android:scheme="content" android:host="*"  />
                <data android:scheme="content" 
                    android:host="media" 
                    android:pathPattern="/external/images/media/.*" />
                <data android:host="*" android:scheme="content" 
                    android:mimeType="image/*" />
                -->
                <data android:mimeType="*/*" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

* (c) process the "download"

MyDownloadActivity Your MyDownloadActivity.onCreate() will receive all mime-types * / * for SEND, SENDTO, VIEW. For Details see @Vickyexpert-s answer

intent-intercept is a free android tool to analyse intents. it can intercept nearly every intent. you can look at the sourcecode to see how this is done.

I use sendtosd as my general purpose download handler. It-s sourcecoder is available on github