Android Intent Share using external image url

Question

I couldn't help noticing that all examples of sharing images with Intent use locally stored files. Whenever I try to use a external url, facebook, twitter etc. gives me a toast saying "One or more media items could be not be added".

Do i have to store a copy of the image locally?If yes, how do i do that?

Answer 1

Thank you @user2245247 for the link
It contains the correct answer to share image from remote url.
Use external library

// Get access to ImageView 
ImageView ivImage = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.ivResult);
// Fire async request to load image
Picasso.with(context).load(imageUrl).into(ivImage);

After the image loaded successfully to the image view, trigger the method for sharing intent.

// Can be triggered by a view event such as a button press
public void onShareItem(View v) {
    // Get access to bitmap image from view
    ImageView ivImage = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.ivResult);
    // Get access to the URI for the bitmap
    Uri bmpUri = getLocalBitmapUri(ivImage);
    if (bmpUri != null) {
        // Construct a ShareIntent with link to image
        Intent shareIntent = new Intent();
        shareIntent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
        shareIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, bmpUri);
        shareIntent.setType("image/*");
        // Launch sharing dialog for image
        startActivity(Intent.createChooser(shareIntent, "Share Image"));    
    } else {
        // ...sharing failed, handle error
    }
}

// Returns the URI path to the Bitmap displayed in specified ImageView
public Uri getLocalBitmapUri(ImageView imageView) {
    // Extract Bitmap from ImageView drawable
    Drawable drawable = imageView.getDrawable();
    Bitmap bmp = null;
    if (drawable instanceof BitmapDrawable){
       bmp = ((BitmapDrawable) imageView.getDrawable()).getBitmap();
    } else {
       return null;
    }
    // Store image to default external storage directory
    Uri bmpUri = null;
    try {
        File file =  new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(  
            Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS), "share_image_" + System.currentTimeMillis() + ".png");
        file.getParentFile().mkdirs();
        FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(file);
        bmp.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.PNG, 90, out);
        out.close();
        bmpUri = Uri.fromFile(file);
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    return bmpUri;
}

Make sure you have the following permissions given.

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

Answer 2

Here's how you can share a link:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
Uri uri = Uri.parse("http://linkto.com/your_image.png");
intent.setType("image/*");
intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, String.valueOf(uri));
startActivity(intent);