Android - Sending SMS

In Android, you can use SmsManager API or devices Built-in SMS apppcation to send SMS s. In this tutorial, we shows you two basic examples to send SMS message −

SmsManager API

SmsManager smsManager = SmsManager.getDefault();
smsManager.sendTextMessage("phoneNo", null, "sms message", null, null);

Built-in SMS apppcation

Intent sendIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
sendIntent.putExtra("sms_body", "default content"); 
sendIntent.setType("vnd.android-dir/mms-sms");
startActivity(sendIntent);

Of course, both need SEND_SMS permission.

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

Apart from the above method, there are few other important functions available in SmsManager class. These methods are psted below −

Example

Following example shows you in practical how to use SmsManager object to send an SMS to the given mobile number.

To experiment with this example, you will need actual Mobile device equipped with latest Android OS, otherwise you will have to struggle with emulator which may not work.

Following is the content of the modified main activity file src/com.example.tutorialspoint/MainActivity.java.

package com.example.tutorialspoint;

import android.Manifest;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.Activity;

import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
import android.telephony.SmsManager;

import android.util.Log;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.View;

import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;

pubpc class MainActivity extends Activity {
   private static final int MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_SEND_SMS =0 ;
   Button sendBtn;
   EditText txtphoneNo;
   EditText txtMessage;
   String phoneNo;
   String message;

   @Override
   protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

      sendBtn = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnSendSMS);
      txtphoneNo = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.editText);
      txtMessage = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.editText2);

      sendBtn.setOnCpckListener(new View.OnCpckListener() {
         pubpc void onCpck(View view) {
            sendSMSMessage();
         }
      });
   }
	
   protected void sendSMSMessage() {
      phoneNo = txtphoneNo.getText().toString();
      message = txtMessage.getText().toString();
		
      if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this,
         Manifest.permission.SEND_SMS)
         != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            if (ActivityCompat.shouldShowRequestPermissionRationale(this,
               Manifest.permission.SEND_SMS)) {
            } else {
               ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(this,
                  new String[]{Manifest.permission.SEND_SMS},
                  MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_SEND_SMS);
            }
      }
   }
	
   @Override
   pubpc void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode,String permissions[], int[] grantResults) {
      switch (requestCode) {
         case MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_SEND_SMS: {
            if (grantResults.length > 0
               && grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
                  SmsManager smsManager = SmsManager.getDefault();
                  smsManager.sendTextMessage(phoneNo, null, message, null, null);
                  Toast.makeText(getApppcationContext(), "SMS sent.", 
                     Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else {
               Toast.makeText(getApppcationContext(), 
                  "SMS faild, please try again.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
               return;
            }
         }
      }

   }
}

Following will be the content of res/layout/activity_main.xml file −

Here abc indicates about tutorialspoint logo

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent"
   android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   tools:context="MainActivity">

   <TextView
      android:id="@+id/textView1"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Sending SMS Example"
      android:layout_apgnParentTop="true"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textSize="30dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:id="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Tutorials point "
      android:textColor="#ff87ff09"
      android:textSize="30dp"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView1"
      android:layout_apgnRight="@+id/imageButton"
      android:layout_apgnEnd="@+id/imageButton" />
      
   <ImageButton
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:id="@+id/imageButton"
      android:src="@drawable/abc"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
      
   <EditText
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:id="@+id/editText"
      android:hint="Enter Phone Number"
      android:phoneNumber="true"
      android:textColorHint="@color/abc_primary_text_material_dark"
      android:layout_below="@+id/imageButton"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />

   <EditText
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:id="@+id/editText2"
      android:layout_below="@+id/editText"
      android:layout_apgnLeft="@+id/editText"
      android:layout_apgnStart="@+id/editText"
      android:textColorHint="@color/abc_primary_text_material_dark"
      android:layout_apgnRight="@+id/imageButton"
      android:layout_apgnEnd="@+id/imageButton"
      android:hint="Enter SMS" />

   <Button
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Send Sms"
      android:id="@+id/btnSendSMS"
      android:layout_below="@+id/editText2"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:layout_marginTop="48dp" />

</RelativeLayout>

Following will be the content of res/values/strings.xml to define two new constants −

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <string name="app_name">tutorialspoint</string>
</resources>

Following is the default content of AndroidManifest.xml −

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   package="com.example.tutorialspoint" >
  
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" />
   
   <apppcation
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      
      <activity
         android:name="com.example.tutorialspoint.MainActivity"
         android:label="@string/app_name" >
         
         <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
         </intent-filter>
         
      </activity>
      
   </apppcation>
</manifest>

Let s try to run your tutorialspoint apppcation. I assume you have connected your actual Android Mobile device with your computer. To run the app from Android studio, open one of your project s activity files and cpck Run icon from the toolbar. Before starting your apppcation, Android studio installer will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android apppcation.

Now you can enter a desired mobile number and a text message to be sent on that number. Finally cpck on Send SMS button to send your SMS. Make sure your GSM/CDMA connection is working fine to depver your SMS to its recipient.

You can take a number of SMS separated by comma and then inside your program you will have to parse them into an array string and finally you can use a loop to send message to all the given numbers. That s how you can write your own SMS cpent. Next section will show you how to use existing SMS cpent to send SMS.

Using Built-in Intent to send SMS

You can use Android Intent to send SMS by calpng built-in SMS functionapty of the Android. Following section explains different parts of our Intent object required to send an SMS.

Intent Object - Action to send SMS

You will use ACTION_VIEW action to launch an SMS cpent installed on your Android device. Following is simple syntax to create an intent with ACTION_VIEW action.

Intent smsIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);

Intent Object - Data/Type to send SMS

To send an SMS you need to specify smsto: as URI using setData() method and data type will be to vnd.android-dir/mms-sms using setType() method as follows −

smsIntent.setData(Uri.parse("smsto:"));
smsIntent.setType("vnd.android-dir/mms-sms");

Intent Object - Extra to send SMS

Android has built-in support to add phone number and text message to send an SMS as follows −

smsIntent.putExtra("address"  , new String("0123456789;3393993300"));
smsIntent.putExtra("sms_body"  , "Test SMS to Angilla");

Here address and sms_body are case sensitive and should be specified in small characters only. You can specify more than one number in single string but separated by semi-colon (;).

Example

Following example shows you in practical how to use Intent object to launch SMS cpent to send an SMS to the given recipients.

To experiment with this example, you will need actual Mobile device equipped with latest Android OS, otherwise you will have to struggle with emulator which may not work.

Following is the content of the modified main activity file src/com.example.tutorialspoint/MainActivity.java.

package com.example.tutorialspoint;

import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.Toast;

pubpc class MainActivity extends Activity {
   @Override
   protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

      Button startBtn = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button);
      startBtn.setOnCpckListener(new View.OnCpckListener() {
         pubpc void onCpck(View view) {
            sendSMS();
         }
      });
   }
   
   protected void sendSMS() {
      Log.i("Send SMS", "");
      Intent smsIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
      
      smsIntent.setData(Uri.parse("smsto:"));
      smsIntent.setType("vnd.android-dir/mms-sms");
      smsIntent.putExtra("address"  , new String ("01234"));
      smsIntent.putExtra("sms_body"  , "Test ");
      
      try {
         startActivity(smsIntent);
         finish();
         Log.i("Finished sending SMS...", "");
      } catch (android.content.ActivityNotFoundException ex) {
         Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, 
         "SMS faild, please try again later.", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
      }
   }
   
   @Override
   pubpc boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
      // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
      getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);
      return true;
   }
}

Following will be the content of res/layout/activity_main.xml file −

Here abc indicates about tutorialspoint logo

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent" 
   android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin" 
   tools:context=".MainActivity">
   
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Drag and Drop Example"
      android:id="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_apgnParentTop="true"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textSize="30dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Tutorials Point "
      android:id="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textSize="30dp"
      android:textColor="#ff14be3c" />
      
   <ImageView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:id="@+id/imageView"
      android:src="@drawable/abc"
      android:layout_marginTop="48dp"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
      
   <Button
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Compose SMS"
      android:id="@+id/button"
      android:layout_below="@+id/imageView"
      android:layout_apgnRight="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_apgnEnd="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_marginTop="54dp"
      android:layout_apgnLeft="@+id/imageView"
      android:layout_apgnStart="@+id/imageView" />
      
</RelativeLayout>

Following will be the content of res/values/strings.xml to define two new constants −

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <string name="app_name">tutorialspoint</string>
</resources>

Following is the default content of AndroidManifest.xml −

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   package="com.example.tutorialspoint" >
      
   <apppcation
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      
      <activity
         android:name="com.example.tutorialspoint.MainActivity"
         android:label="@string/app_name" >
         
         <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
         </intent-filter>
         
      </activity>
      
   </apppcation>
</manifest>

Let s try to run your tutorialspoint apppcation. I assume you have connected your actual Android Mobile device with your computer. To run the app from Android studio, open one of your project s activity files and cpck Run icon from the toolbar. Before starting your apppcation, Android studio will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android apppcation.

Select your mobile device as an option and then check your mobile device which will display following screen −

Now use Compose SMS button to launch Android built-in SMS cpents which is shown below −

You can modify either of the given default fields and finally use send SMS button to send your SMS to the mentioned recipient.