Android: How to get a list of all available intent filters?

Question

I have search Android docs and for some insane reason I am not able to find the list of all available intent filters.

I am finding an intent filter, which would do something like notifying me through Broadcast Receiver that a particular Activity (example browser, or email) has been started or in the foreground.

Can anyone help me with that?

Answer 1

Expanding on Tom Fraser's answer, the best way is by using dumpsys with a grep and sort.

dumpsys activity broadcasts |grep -iE ".+\.[0-9A-Z_\-]+:$" |sort

The grep expression makes sure to only catch lines ending in the intent like format of ...blahblah.SOME_INTENT:. It may not catch all, but it's a good start.

Answer 2

There is a "database" at http://www.openintents.org/intentsregistry/ that tries to collect known intent filters. Also the doumentation for Intent lists some.

Answer 3

As on date this is list according to official documentation

android@intent@action@AIRPLANE_MODE
android@intent@action@ALL_APPS
android@intent@action@ANSWER
android@intent@action@APPLICATION_PREFERENCES
android@intent@action@APP_ERROR
android@intent@action@ASSIST
android@intent@action@ATTACH_DATA
android@intent@action@BATTERY_CHANGED
android@intent@action@BATTERY_LOW
android@intent@action@BATTERY_OKAY
android@intent@action@BOOT_COMPLETED
android@intent@action@BUG_REPORT
android@intent@action@CALL
android@intent@action@CALL_BUTTON
android@intent@action@CARRIER_SETUP
android@intent@action@CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS
android@intent@action@CONFIGURATION_CHANGED
android@intent@action@CREATE_DOCUMENT
android@intent@action@DATE_CHANGED
android@intent@action@VIEW
android@intent@action@DEFINE
android@intent@action@DELETE
android@intent@action@DEVICE_STORAGE_LOW
android@intent@action@DEVICE_STORAGE_OK
android@intent@action@DIAL
android@intent@action@DOCK_EVENT
android@intent@action@DREAMING_STARTED
android@intent@action@EDIT
android@intent@action@EXTERNAL_APPLICATIONS_AVAILABLE
android@intent@action@EXTERNAL_APPLICATIONS_UNAVAILABLE
android@intent@action@FACTORY_TEST
android@intent@action@GET_CONTENT
android@intent@action@GET_RESTRICTION_ENTRIES
android@intent@action@GTALK_CONNECTED
android@intent@action@GTALK_DISCONNECTED
android@intent@action@HEADSET_PLUG
android@intent@action@INPUT_METHOD_CHANGED
android@intent@action@INSERT
android@intent@action@INSERT_OR_EDIT
android@intent@action@INSTALL_FAILURE
android@intent@action@INSTALL_PACKAGE
android@intent@action@LOCALE_CHANGED
android@intent@action@LOCKED_BOOT_COMPLETED
android@intent@action@MAIN
android@intent@action@MANAGED_PROFILE_ADDED
android@intent@action@MANAGED_PROFILE_AVAILABLE
android@intent@action@MANAGED_PROFILE_REMOVED
android@intent@action@MANAGED_PROFILE_UNAVAILABLE
android@intent@action@MANAGED_PROFILE_UNLOCKED
android@intent@action@MANAGE_NETWORK_USAGE
android@intent@action@MANAGE_PACKAGE_STORAGE
android@intent@action@MEDIA_BAD_REMOVAL
android@intent@action@MEDIA_BUTTON
android@intent@action@MEDIA_CHECKING
android@intent@action@MEDIA_EJECT
android@intent@action@MEDIA_MOUNTED
android@intent@action@MEDIA_NOFS
android@intent@action@MEDIA_REMOVED
android@intent@action@MEDIA_SCANNER_FINISHED
android@intent@action@MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE
android@intent@action@MEDIA_SCANNER_STARTED
android@intent@action@MEDIA_SHARED
android@intent@action@MEDIA_UNMOUNTABLE
android@intent@action@MEDIA_UNMOUNTED
android@intent@action@MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED
android@intent@action@MY_PACKAGE_SUSPENDED
android@intent@action@MY_PACKAGE_UNSUSPENDED
android@intent@action@NEW_OUTGOING_CALL
android@intent@action@OPEN_DOCUMENT
android@intent@action@OPEN_DOCUMENT_TREE
android@intent@action@PACKAGES_SUSPENDED
android@intent@action@PACKAGES_UNSUSPENDED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_ADDED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_CHANGED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_DATA_CLEARED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_FIRST_LAUNCH
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_FULLY_REMOVED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_INSTALL
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_NEEDS_VERIFICATION
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_REMOVED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_REPLACED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_RESTARTED
android@intent@action@PACKAGE_VERIFIED
android@intent@action@PASTE
android@intent@action@PICK
android@intent@action@PICK_ACTIVITY
android@intent@action@ACTION_POWER_CONNECTED
android@intent@action@ACTION_POWER_DISCONNECTED
android@intent@action@POWER_USAGE_SUMMARY
android@intent@action@PROCESS_TEXT
android@intent@action@PROVIDER_CHANGED
android@intent@action@QUICK_CLOCK
android@intent@action@QUICK_VIEW
android@intent@action@REBOOT
android@intent@action@RUN
android@intent@action@SCREEN_OFF
android@intent@action@SCREEN_ON
android@intent@action@SEARCH
android@intent@action@SEARCH_LONG_PRESS
android@intent@action@SEND
android@intent@action@SENDTO
android@intent@action@SEND_MULTIPLE
android@intent@action@SET_WALLPAPER
android@intent@action@SHOW_APP_INFO
android@intent@action@ACTION_SHUTDOWN
android@intent@action@SYNC
android@intent@action@SYSTEM_TUTORIAL
android@intent@action@TIMEZONE_CHANGED
android@intent@action@TIME_SET
android@intent@action@TIME_TICK
android@intent@action@TRANSLATE
android@intent@action@UID_REMOVED
android@intent@action@UMS_CONNECTED
android@intent@action@UMS_DISCONNECTED
android@intent@action@UNINSTALL_PACKAGE
android@intent@action@USER_BACKGROUND
android@intent@action@USER_FOREGROUND
android@intent@action@USER_INITIALIZE
android@intent@action@USER_PRESENT
android@intent@action@USER_UNLOCKED
android@intent@action@VIEW
android@intent@action@VIEW_LOCUS
android@intent@action@VIEW_PERMISSION_USAGE
android@intent@action@VOICE_COMMAND
android@intent@action@WALLPAPER_CHANGED
android@intent@action@WEB_SEARCH
android@intent@category@ALTERNATIVE
android@intent@category@APP_BROWSER
android@intent@category@APP_CALCULATOR
android@intent@category@APP_CALENDAR
android@intent@category@APP_CONTACTS
android@intent@category@APP_EMAIL
android@intent@category@APP_FILES
android@intent@category@APP_GALLERY
android@intent@category@APP_MAPS
android@intent@category@APP_MESSAGING
android@intent@category@APP_MUSIC
android@intent@category@BROWSABLE
android@intent@category@CAR_DOCK
android@intent@category@CAR_MODE
android@intent@category@DEFAULT
android@intent@category@DESK_DOCK
android@intent@category@DEVELOPMENT_PREFERENCE
android@intent@category@EMBED
android@intent@category@FRAMEWORK_INSTRUMENTATION_TEST
android@intent@category@HE_DESK_DOCK
android@intent@category@HOME
android@intent@category@INFO
android@intent@category@LAUNCHER
android@intent@category@LEANBACK_LAUNCHER
android@intent@category@LE_DESK_DOCK
android@intent@category@MONKEY
android@intent@category@OPENABLE
android@intent@category@PREFERENCE
android@intent@category@SAMPLE_CODE
android@intent@category@SECONDARY_HOME
android@intent@category@SELECTED_ALTERNATIVE
android@intent@category@TAB
android@intent@category@TEST
android@intent@category@TYPED_OPENABLE
android@intent@category@UNIT_TEST
android@intent@category@VOICE
android@intent@category@VR_HOME
android@intent@extra@ALARM_COUNT
android@intent@extra@ALLOW_MULTIPLE
android@intent@extra@ALLOW_REPLACE
android@intent@extra@ALTERNATE_INTENTS
android@intent@extra@ASSIST_CONTEXT
android@intent@extra@ASSIST_INPUT_DEVICE_ID
android@intent@extra@ASSIST_INPUT_HINT_KEYBOARD
android@intent@extra@ASSIST_PACKAGE
android@intent@extra@ASSIST_UID
android@intent@extra@AUTO_LAUNCH_SINGLE_CHOICE
android@intent@extra@BCC
android@intent@extra@BUG_REPORT
android@intent@extra@changed_component_name
android@intent@extra@changed_component_name_list
android@intent@extra@changed_package_list
android@intent@extra@changed_uid_list
android@intent@extra@CHOOSER_REFINEMENT_INTENT_SENDER
android@intent@extra@CHOOSER_TARGETS
android@intent@extra@CHOSEN_COMPONENT
android@intent@extra@CHOSEN_COMPONENT_INTENT_SENDER
android@intent@extra@COMPONENT_NAME
android@intent@extra@CONTENT_ANNOTATIONS
android@intent@extra@CONTENT_QUERY
android@intent@extra@DATA_REMOVED
android@intent@extra@DOCK_STATE
android@intent@extra@DONT_KILL_APP
android@intent@extra@DURATION_MILLIS
android@intent@extra@EMAIL
android@intent@extra@EXCLUDE_COMPONENTS
android@intent@extra@FROM_STORAGE
android@intent@extra@HTML_TEXT
android@intent@extra@INDEX
android@intent@extra@INITIAL_INTENTS
android@intent@extra@INSTALLER_PACKAGE_NAME
android@intent@extra@INTENT
android@intent@extra@KEY_EVENT
android@intent@extra@LOCAL_ONLY
android@intent@extra@LOCUS_ID
android@intent@extra@MIME_TYPES
android@intent@extra@NOT_UNKNOWN_SOURCE
android@intent@extra@ORIGINATING_URI
android@intent@extra@PACKAGE_NAME
android@intent@extra@PHONE_NUMBER
android@intent@extra@PROCESS_TEXT
android@intent@extra@PROCESS_TEXT_READONLY
android@intent@extra@QUICK_VIEW_FEATURES
android@intent@extra@QUIET_MODE
android@intent@extra@REFERRER
android@intent@extra@REFERRER_NAME
android@intent@extra@remote_intent_token
android@intent@extra@REPLACEMENT_EXTRAS
android@intent@extra@REPLACING
android@intent@extra@restrictions_bundle
android@intent@extra@restrictions_intent
android@intent@extra@restrictions_list
android@intent@extra@RESULT_RECEIVER
android@intent@extra@RETURN_RESULT
android@intent@extra@shortcut@ICON
android@intent@extra@shortcut@ICON_RESOURCE
android@intent@extra@shortcut@ID
android@intent@extra@shortcut@INTENT
android@intent@extra@shortcut@NAME
android@intent@extra@SHUTDOWN_USERSPACE_ONLY
android@intent@extra@SPLIT_NAME
android@intent@extra@STREAM
android@intent@extra@SUBJECT
android@intent@extra@SUSPENDED_PACKAGE_EXTRAS
android@intent@extra@TEMPLATE
android@intent@extra@TEXT
android@intent@extra@TITLE
android@intent@extra@UID
android@intent@extra@USER

Answer 4

If you are off device you can just run the following:

adb shell dumpsys package r

This will give you a list of all the statically registered intent filters.

Answer 5

You can check the list of standard actions and categories in the sdk/platforms/android-x/data/broadcast_actions.txt

Answer 6

this post is old but for anyone looking for manifest info from apps installed on a particular android dwld this GOD app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.susatthi.ManifestViewer

Answer 7

PackageExplorer lists all intent-filters defined in apps in your device

To answer your question: You create the intent-filter(s) you want to be used to cause your activity to be selected when a program is looking for a service or activity. So each Activity in a Package defines it own list of intent-filters.

I found it useful to have a list of all intent-filters defined by all the applications on a device -- so would know what apps the system would invoke when an intent was processed. I put a free app on Android Market, search for 'Package Explorer' that searches all apps it can find on your device, decodes the AndroidManifest.xml file and displays a list of all intent-filters defined by all apps. The table of all intent-filters can be sorted by Action, Category, Data fields(ie scheme or mimetype), package name or intent-filter type so you can find all Activites on your device that respond to various Actions or Categories.

Package Explorer also collects all uses-permissions fields in the manifest and displays a list of which apps require which permissions. So you can find all packages that use 'SEND_SMS' or something like that. Clicking on the name of a package displays the decoded (uncompressed binary) AndroidManifest.xml for the package.

Answer 8

There is GET_INTENTS_FILTER - declared to be be used in the future to query the intents filters, see also http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3217

However, priority at the Android team is small. Anybody up to submit a patch?

Answer 9

(partial answer) IntentFilters are defined in the AndroidManifest.xml file contained in the application's .apk file. (in the -> -> -> XML element, like this:

I haven't found an API for searching all Intents defined in all .apk files stored on a device. The system searches the list of all intents in: android.content.Context.startActivity(Intent intent) Which calls a native method in android.app.ActivityManagerNative.startActivity() which uses an interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism (using a serialization of the informtation in a 'Parcel' object) to search the intents and start the Activity. So I could find how it is really done.

It appears that you can get read access to .apk files (many are stored in /system/app/*.apk). The .apk file is a .jar file and the AndroidManifest.xml file is available in that, so a program should be able to read and parse the manifest and find the IntentFilters -- but there should be API to make this easy.

Answer 10

You're not going to find that. Intent filters are defined by the application. You'd have to look at the documentation for the paritcular application you're interested in.