Android: how to pre-populate an SMS message

Question

I am writing an application that needs to pre-populate an SMS message with the first name of the contact when using the stock android SMS messenger.

For example if my contacts name is Alex Smith.

When I select Alex Smith to type a message to, I want the text box to already have

'Alex, '

at the beginning of the SMS.

Please how can I achieve that?

enter image description here

Do you want to create an app like this or you want it in default android messaging app.?? — Armaan Stranger, Jul 23 '13 at 07:16
How you sent sms? means by selecting perticular contact from your app ? — Hardik Joshi, Jul 23 '13 at 07:17

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 23 '13 at 07:26

Fetch the contact name from contacts, and do like as follows:

String contactName = "Alex"; // get it from selected contact
Intent intent = new Intent( Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse( "sms:" + phoneNumber ) ); 
intent.putExtra( "sms_body", contactName+"," ); 
startActivity( intent );

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:27

1

Just look over here:

Send SMS via intent

You use a Intent to send the SMS and attach some pre defined text via the EXTRA_TEXT attribute. Quite easy to do. And it works for the normal SHARE intent as well.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:27

Community

1
1

answered Jul 23 '13 at 07:26

Marcus Körner

26
5

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 23 '13 at 07:23

You can't change system apps, but you can send "share intent" from your app to SMS App. As you remember, when you push "share" button in some apps, you can share smth with SMS. (You'll have SMS with text that app put in intent). SO, put contact's name in "share intent" and send it to SMS app.

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 21 '18 at 03:14

it's bit late, but i hope it will help future users.

void prePopulateSMS(final String mblNumVar, final String smsMsgVar) {
    Log.d(TAG, "prePopulateSMS called. smsMsgVar: " + smsMsgVar);


    Intent smsIntent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    smsIntent.setType("vnd.android-dir/mms-sms");
    smsIntent.putExtra("address", mblNumVar);
    smsIntent.putExtra("sms_body", smsMsgVar);
    startActivity(smsIntent);

}

Android: how to pre-populate an SMS message

4 Answers4