Unable to catch SMS received with android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED

Question

I am not able to catch the intent when a SMS is received. Below is my code of the service. I am able to catch the "Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_ON" and "Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_OFF" but I am NOT able to catch the SMS_RECEIVED intent "android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED".

Sincerely appreciate any hints on what I am doing wrong here?

public class SmsCatcher extends Service{

BroadcastReceiver myBroadcast = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {

        Log.i("myBroadcast SmsCatcher", "Entered onReceive method");
        if(intent.getAction().equals(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_OFF)) {
            Log.i("myBroadcast SmsCatcher", "Caught SCREEN_OFF");
        }
        if(intent.getAction().equals(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_ON)) {
            Log.i("myBroadcast SmsCatcher", "Caught SCREEN_ON");
        }

        if(intent.getAction().equals("android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED")) {
            Log.i("myBroadcast SmsCatcher", "SMS_RECEIVED");
        }
    }
};

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
    return null;
}

@Override
public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    Log.i("neil SmsCatcher", "Entered onCreate() in 'SmsCatcher extends Service'");
    Toast.makeText(this, "Entered onCreate() in 'SmsCatcher extends Service'", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

    registerReceiver(myBroadcast, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_ON));
    registerReceiver(myBroadcast, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_OFF));

}

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy();

    Log.i("neil SmsCatcher", "Entered onDestroy() in 'SmsCatcher extends Service'");
    Toast.makeText(this, "Entered onDestroy() in 'SmsCatcher extends Service'", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}


}

UPDATE 1: Adding some more information from my ongoing debug: I used the App Internal Broadcasts Monitor to see there is a broadcast when there is a text message received and I dont see anything, very strange. What could be the reason? I have other SMS apps installed (Hangout, AT&T Messages) - these cant suppress the broadcast can they?

UPDATE 2: FOUND PROBLEM BUT DONT KNOW HOW TO SOLVE I uninstalled the Google Hangouts (replaces Talk) app and it WORKS!!! Any solution around this? (should i be opening a separate thread as per stackoverflow rules?)

UPDATE 3: FOUND ROOTCAUSE (with help below of course, thank you) It turns out that because of the new Google Hangouts App, I needed to setPriority(int). I found the solution at Enabling SMS support in Hangouts 2.0 breaks the BroadcastReceiver of SMS_RECEIVED in my app

insomniac · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-17T05:53:36.157

3

You need to register the android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED intent filter,only if you have registered it you can able to check the intent in the onRecive like

    IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter(android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED);
this.registerReceiver(myBroadcastReceiver, filter);

Update From the question: It turns out Google Hangouts App aborts the sms broadcast as soon as it receives it,So disabling SMS support in Hangouts 2.0 may fix the issue.

edited Oct 17 '15 at 05:53

answered Dec 12 '13 at 04:25

insomniac

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Thanks, I added the registerReceiver(...) but I still dont catch the Intent. I updated the issue with some more debug, I dont think a broadcast is being generated, strange :S – user1406716 Dec 12 '13 at 05:02
I am marking yours as the answer as your way of setting the IntentFilter allowed most easily to setPriority(int) [as per my UPDATE 3 above]. Thanks. – user1406716 Dec 12 '13 at 05:22
I'll add it in the answer too for future help – insomniac Dec 12 '13 at 05:29

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 12 '13 at 04:22

2

You did not register the intent-filter:

@Override
public void onCreate() {
    // ..
    registerReceiver(myBroadcast, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_ON));
    registerReceiver(myBroadcast, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_OFF));
    registerReceiver(myBroadcast, new IntentFilter("android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED")); // missing in your code
}

And please check your permissions for android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS in AndroidManifest.xml.

answered Dec 12 '13 at 04:22

flx

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70

Good catch, thanks to @insomniac below also, but I added registerReceiver(...) but I still do not trigger on that Intent filter. Is it correct to use "android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" or is it supposed to be something else? I already have the permissions in my manifest file: – user1406716 Dec 12 '13 at 04:53
I have a lead, please see UPDATE 2 above. Any ideas? – user1406716 Dec 12 '13 at 05:08

Unable to catch SMS received with android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED

2 Answers2