Automatically launch android app by sending a sms

Question

This is the only thing that is unsolved for our project. Assuming the app is already installed on someone's phone. Then we want to launch the app by sending him/her a message that matched the message's body parameter in our program. I followed some codes but seems like all of those that I tried did not work.Please respect. Thank you for those who are generous to help.

public class SmsReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver{

    public static String trigger = "";

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        Bundle bundle = intent.getExtras();
        SmsMessage[] msgs = null;
        String str="";
        String num="";
        Intent i = new Intent();
        i.setClassName("gavadev.com.autolaunch", "gavadev.com.autolaunch.NewAct");
        i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);



        if(bundle != null){
            Object[] pdus = (Object[]) bundle.get("pdus");
            msgs= new SmsMessage[pdus.length];


            for(int j =0 ;j<pdus.length; j++) {

                trigger = msgs[j].getMessageBody().toString();
                num = msgs[j].getOriginatingAddress();

                str += trigger;



            }
            Toast.makeText(context,"From: "+num+ " Message: " +trigger,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            if((trigger.equals("themessage"))&&(num.equals("thenumber"))){
                context.startActivity(i);

            }
        }
    }
}

Here is my Manifest.xml

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="gavadev.com.autolaunch">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_SMS" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

        <receiver android:name=".SmsReceiver">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

        <activity
            android:name=".NewAct"
            android:label="@string/title_activity_new"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar"></activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

*I did nothing on the MainActivity.class

Answer 1

Why don't you debug and see why it's not calling the intent? As far as you declare correctly your SMS broadcast receiver it should work without any problem.

However, let me say why I think all this is a bad idea:

1. These permissions scare people a lot and are very sensitive to use:

   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_SMS" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" />
   

   You should just use <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS"/> permission only for that. Look at this simple example, it wisely suggest to use DDMS to test or mock SMS messages for your purpose. Thus you could debug that method and see how it works.

2. You will definitely have a lot of problems to use your app with Android Marshmallow and upwards. It require runtime permissions and those are the dangerous type ones which require to ask the user at runtime. Unless you explain why you need those permissions and why the app cannot work without them, they will always deny those permissions.

3. If you have a simple backend, why don't you just use Push Messages for that purpose?

If you still decide to use this, I would increase your receiver's priority in your manifest:

<receiver android:name=".SmsReceiver" android:exported="true" > 
  <intent-filter android:priority="1000"> 
    <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />
  </intent-filter> 
</receiver>

Answer 2

Use this code:

     public class SmsListener extends BroadcastReceiver{

        private SharedPreferences preferences;

        @Override
        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub

            if(intent.getAction().equals("android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED")){
                Bundle bundle = intent.getExtras();           //---get the SMS message passed in---
                SmsMessage[] msgs = null;
                String msg_from;
                if (bundle != null){
                    //---retrieve the SMS message received---
                    try{
                        Object[] pdus = (Object[]) bundle.get("pdus");
                        msgs = new SmsMessage[pdus.length];
                        for(int i=0; i<msgs.length; i++){
                            msgs[i] = SmsMessage.createFromPdu((byte[])pdus[i]);
                            msg_from = msgs[i].getOriginatingAddress();
                            String msgBody = msgs[i].getMessageBody();
                            String match="String to match from TEXT MESSAGE eg.HOOD";
if(msgBody.toLowerCase().contains(match.toLowerCase()))
{
Intent launchIntent = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("YOUR PACKAGE NAME OF APP TO LAUNCH");
startActivity(launchIntent);
}


                        }
                    }catch(Exception e){
    //                            Log.d("Exception caught",e.getMessage());
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

Note: In your manifest file add the BroadcastReceiver-

<receiver android:name=".listener.SmsListener">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>

Add this permission:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS" />