How to open the default mail inbox from android code?

Question

I'm trying to link a button to the mail app. Not to send mail, but just to open the inbox.

Should I do this with Intent intent = new Intent(...)?

If so, what should be between the ( )?

Answer 1

If the goal is to open the default email app to view the inbox, then key is to add an intent category and use the ACTION_MAIN intent like so:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL);
getActivity().startActivity(intent);

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html#CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL

Answer 2

This code worked for me. It opens a picker with all email apps registered to device and straight to Inbox:

Intent emailIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("mailto:"));
    PackageManager pm = getPackageManager();

    List<ResolveInfo> resInfo = pm.queryIntentActivities(emailIntent, 0);
    if (resInfo.size() > 0) {
        ResolveInfo ri = resInfo.get(0);
        // First create an intent with only the package name of the first registered email app
        // and build a picked based on it
        Intent intentChooser = pm.getLaunchIntentForPackage(ri.activityInfo.packageName);
        Intent openInChooser =
                Intent.createChooser(intentChooser,
                        getString(R.string.user_reg_email_client_chooser_title));

        // Then create a list of LabeledIntent for the rest of the registered email apps 
        List<LabeledIntent> intentList = new ArrayList<LabeledIntent>();
        for (int i = 1; i < resInfo.size(); i++) {
            // Extract the label and repackage it in a LabeledIntent
            ri = resInfo.get(i);
            String packageName = ri.activityInfo.packageName;
            Intent intent = pm.getLaunchIntentForPackage(packageName);
            intentList.add(new LabeledIntent(intent, packageName, ri.loadLabel(pm), ri.icon));
        }

        LabeledIntent[] extraIntents = intentList.toArray(new LabeledIntent[intentList.size()]);
        // Add the rest of the email apps to the picker selection
        openInChooser.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_INITIAL_INTENTS, extraIntents);
        startActivity(openInChooser);
    }

Answer 3

Based on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/28190156/3289338

Starting from Android 11 the system won't return anything for queryIntentActivities because we first need to add an entry in the queries (in the manifest) like this

<manifest ...>

<queries>
    ...
    <intent>
      <action
        android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
      <data
        android:scheme="mailto" />
    </intent>
</queries>

...

</manifest>

and here a kotlin version of the solution:

fun Context.openMailbox(chooserTitle: String) {
    val emailIntent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("mailto:"))

    val resInfo = packageManager.queryIntentActivities(emailIntent, 0)
    if (resInfo.isNotEmpty()) {
        // First create an intent with only the package name of the first registered email app
        // and build a picked based on it
        val intentChooser = packageManager.getLaunchIntentForPackage(
            resInfo.first().activityInfo.packageName
        )
        val openInChooser = Intent.createChooser(intentChooser, chooserTitle)

        // Then create a list of LabeledIntent for the rest of the registered email apps
        val emailApps = resInfo.toLabeledIntentArray(packageManager)

        // Add the rest of the email apps to the picker selection
        openInChooser.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_INITIAL_INTENTS, emailApps)
        startActivity(openInChooser)
    } else {
        Timber.e("No email app found")
    }
}

private fun List<ResolveInfo>.toLabeledIntentArray(packageManager: PackageManager): Array<LabeledIntent> = map {
    val packageName = it.activityInfo.packageName
    val intent = packageManager.getLaunchIntentForPackage(packageName)
    LabeledIntent(intent, packageName, it.loadLabel(packageManager), it.icon)
}.toTypedArray()

Answer 4

To open it new task use the below code:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);

Answer 5

Any suggestions to avoid the crash if the default mail in the device is not configured?

Yes, it's possible to open the Android default email inbox.
Use this code:

Intent intent = getPackageManager().getLaunchIntentForPackage("com.android.email");
startActivity(intent);

This code works, you have to configure your Android device default mail first. If you already configured your mail it works fine. Otherwise, it force closes with a NullPointerException.

Answer 6

You can simply use below code when for no attachment:

Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SENDTO);
i.setData(Uri.parse("mailto:support@mailname.com")); 
i.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, "Feedback/Support");
startActivity(Intent.createChooser(emailIntent, "Send feedback"));

For details I recommend to visit: https://developer.android.com/guide/components/intents-common.html#Email

Answer 7

I'm with jetpack compose and this works for me :

val context = LocalContext.current

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN)

intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK)
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL)

Button(
onClick = { startActivity(context, intent, null) }
)

Answer 8

For kotlin:

fun composeEmail(addresses: Array<String>, subject: String) {
    val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_SENDTO).apply {
        data = Uri.parse("mailto:") // only email apps should handle this
        putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_EMAIL, addresses)
        putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, subject)
    }
    if (intent.resolveActivity(packageManager) != null) {
        startActivity(intent)
    }
}

Ref: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html#CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL

Answer 9

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN)
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK)
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL)
startActivity(intent)

Answer 10

The code works for me:

Intent intent= new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(Intent.createChooser(intent, ""));

Answer 11

  You can use this but it is for gmail only

  Intent emailIntent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_SEND);  
  emailIntent.setType("plain/text");
  startActivity(emailIntent); 

Answer 12

Intent email = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
              
email.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL);
                    startActivity(email);

Answer 13

Bit late, here is proper working code.

Intent intent = Intent.makeMainSelectorActivity(
Intent.ACTION_MAIN,
Intent.CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL
);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Email"));

For further details check this document:

1. CATEGORY_APP_EMAIL
2. makeMainSelectorActivity

Answer 14

Unfortunately it doesn't look promising. This has been asked before

How do I launch the email client directly to inbox view?

you can open the email client in compose mode, but you seem to already know that.

Answer 15

You can open Android default e-mail client using this:

Intent emailIntent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_SEND);
emailIntent.setType("text/plain");
emailIntent.setClassName("com.android.email", "com.android.email.activity.Welcome");
emailIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(emailIntent);