How to clear intent data in Activity after open from url?

Question

I have Activity, which can be launched directly from browser, calling url.

Activity code:

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        Uri data = getIntent().getData();
        Log.d(getClass().getName(), "onCreate data=" + data);

        getIntent().replaceExtras(new Bundle());
        getIntent().setAction("");
        getIntent().setData(null);
        getIntent().setFlags(0);

        if (data != null && isValidUrl(data)) {
            // open some special fragment
        } else {
            // open main fragment
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        Log.d(MainActivity.class.getName(), "onDestroy");
    }

    //...
}

Application manifest code:

    ...

    <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
        </intent-filter>
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>

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

            <data
                android:host="example.com"
                android:pathPrefix="/"
                android:scheme="http"/>
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

    ...

This code works perfectly. When I open application from browser using link (http://example.com/somepage.html), I have this output:

D/com.package.MainActivity: onCreate data=http://example.com/somepage.html

But if I leave the application (using back button) and open application again, from recent menu, I get the same result:

D/com.package.MainActivity: onDestroy
D/com.package.MainActivity: onCreate data=http://example.com/somepage.html

I want to clear intent data in method onCreate. Or is there way to detect, when application is launched from recent menu?

UPD: I tried to do this:

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

    getIntent().replaceExtras(new Bundle());
    getIntent().setAction("");
    getIntent().setData(null);
    getIntent().setFlags(0);

    Log.d(MainActivity.class.getName(), "onDestroy");
}

But it does not help.

See if this helps - https://stackoverflow.com/a/19820057/313042 — Rajath, Sep 06 '17 at 07:12
The intent should be cleared when you exit after opening via a link, then selecting the launcher icon. Selecting the launcher icon will deliver and intent with no data. This flow doesn't make sense to me. — Danuofr, Oct 24 '19 at 18:17

score 19 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 21 '18 at 07:18

19

Quite old thread here, but in case someone else is looking for this one:

You can check if your intent was sent due to app being launched from the recent-list by checking the flag FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY

    if ((getIntent().getData() != null) && ((getIntent().getFlags() & Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY) == 0)) {
            //Handle the url passed through the intent
        } else {
            //proceed as normal
        }

answered Mar 21 '18 at 07:18

Ole-Kristian

541
5
6

what a coincidence, I was looking for the solution. `FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY` is not working – Krrishnaaaa Mar 21 '18 at 12:25
8

It's `(getIntent().getFlags() & Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY) == Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY` to check if the activity has been launched from history: it's a great idea, and it works – Giulio Piancastelli Sep 18 '18 at 07:02
4

Kotlin extension `fun Intent.isLaunchFromHistory(): Boolean = this.flags and Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY == Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY` – smora Feb 20 '20 at 18:48

Hiren Patel · Answer 2 · 2015-12-16T12:08:31.987

17

Remove intent.getData() by below code:

Edit 1:

Uri data = getIntent().getData();
    Log.d(getClass().getName(), "onCreate data=" + data);

    if (data != null && isValidUrl(data)) {
        // open some special fragment
    } else {
        // open main fragment
    }

getIntent().setData(null);

Edit 2:

getIntent().replaceExtras(new Bundle());
getIntent().setAction("");
getIntent().setData(null);
getIntent().setFlags(0);

Hope this will help you.

edited Dec 16 '15 at 12:08

answered Dec 16 '15 at 12:05

Hiren Patel

52,124
21
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@ArthurKorchagin, I have edited answer, please check – Hiren Patel Dec 16 '15 at 12:08
@ArthurKorchagin, If not work edit 1 than please try edit 2 – Hiren Patel Dec 16 '15 at 12:10
Yes, it still doesnt helps. – ArtKorchagin Dec 16 '15 at 12:24
1

Thanks, @HirenPatel Second option is working fine for me – Mahesh Kavathiya Nov 12 '19 at 12:58
1

replaceExtras worked. thanks for this. – ralphgabb Jun 22 '22 at 08:57

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 22 '16 at 13:48

The way you want to do it goes against the principles of Android system. Android is designed so that Intent opens Activity and then if you want to open this Activity from Recents menu it receives the same intent.

I just guess that if you use one-Activity-many-fragments approach then you see one of its disadvantages. Android Intent system is designed in the way to use One Screen - One Activity approach which is the best practice.

If I'm wrong and you have some other case it would be really interesting to know it. Then you may think of how to redesign the app to achieve your needs.

One activity - one screen is not the best practice anymore because since the introduction of architecture components the Android team promotes the single activity architecture. — Xam, Mar 05 '21 at 14:33

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 04 '17 at 12:23

1

Rather than changing the intent data, you can store the hash of the intent and compare that hash each time the app gets focus. This way you get see if a new intent is present.

Example:

int currentIntent = getIntent().hashCode();

if (lastIntent != currentIntent) {
    // do stuff
}

edited Aug 04 '17 at 12:23

Siegmeyer

4,312
6
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43

answered Aug 04 '17 at 11:33

Paul Hayes

44
2

This doesn't work since the hashcode is different everytime, but the same intent still comes through – Rajath Sep 06 '17 at 06:51

score -1 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 15 '17 at 19:23

-1

In your onCreate method you have

if (data != null && isValidUrl(data)) {
// open some special fragment
} else {
// open main fragment
}

Change to

if (data != null && isValidUrl(data)) {
    // open some special fragment
    getIntent().setData(null);
    setIntent(getIntent()); //This will set the new intent to have no data,
    //so future launches won't relaunch the data url.
    } else {
    // open main fragment
    }

answered Aug 15 '17 at 19:23

Danuofr

1,661
19
25

2

have you tried this? I did a `setIntent(new Intent())` and still I get the old intent – Boy Oct 25 '17 at 06:11
@Boy : Whenever your activity is opened, it is done with an Intent. Now that will always renew the intent (if singleTop, singleTask or singleInstance launch mode ( method onNewIntent(), after the first time). setNewIntent() will immediately clear the current intent, and you will not be able to use the original bundle what was there primarily. – Abhinav Saxena Apr 11 '22 at 04:48

How to clear intent data in Activity after open from url?

5 Answers5