How To Launch an Activity from Another Application in Android

What is the method to launch an activity from another application in Android?

Intent launchIntent = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("com.example.otherapp");
if (launchIntent != null) {
    startActivity(launchIntent);
} else {
    // Handle the case where the app is not installed
}

Launching an activity from another application in Android is straightforward using Intents, the messaging objects used to request an action from another app component. By specifying the target application package, you can effectively start an activity from your app.

Intent launchIntent = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("com.example.otherapp");
if (launchIntent != null) {
    startActivity(launchIntent);
} else {
    // Handle the case where the app is not installed
}

Causes

• The target application must be properly installed on the device.
• The activity you want to launch must be declared in the target app's manifest and be exportable.

Solutions

• Use the `getLaunchIntentForPackage()` method to obtain the intent for the target application's main activity.
• Ensure that you handle the case where the application may not be installed.

Mistake: Assuming the target application is always installed.

Solution: Check for null after retrieving the launch intent and prompt user to install if not present.

Mistake: Not handling security restrictions between apps.

Solution: Ensure permissions are in place and the target app's manifest allows activities to be exported.