Can I integrate Microsoft Lens into my application?

Question

I like Office Lens's ability to automatically crop, focus, and align a picture... mainly for receipt and expense processing

I want to have an app flow that goes like this:

1. User opens my app and clicks photograph receipt
2. Lens opens (android intent, or similar in iOS)
3. User takes picture
4. Picture is returned to my application for processing

I am having trouble making that flow happen, and to make the data transfer (photo) between the camera and my app seamless. What options do I have?

Answer 1

If you look at Androidmanifest.xml file, you will see this XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.microsoft.office.officelens" platformBuildVersionCode="21" platformBuildVersionName="5.0.1-1624448">     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" android:required="true"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.AUTHENTICATE_ACCOUNTS"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.DOWNLOAD_WITHOUT_NOTIFICATION"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PROFILE"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS"/>     <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" android:required="true"/>     <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" android:required="false"/>     <application android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="@drawable/ic_officelens" android:label="@string/officelens_app_name" android:largeHeap="true" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.OfficeLensApplication" android:theme="@style/OfficeLensAppTheme">         <activity android:label="@string/officelens_app_name" android:name="com.microsoft.office.apphost.LaunchActivity" android:theme="@style/OfficeLensSplashTheme">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>             </intent-filter>         </activity>         <activity android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize" android:label="@string/officelens_app_name" android:launchMode="singleTask" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.MainActivity" android:theme="@style/FullscreenTheme"/>         <activity android:label="@string/officelens_app_name" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.SecureActivity" android:parentActivityName="com.microsoft.office.officelens.MainActivity" android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden"/>         <activity android:label="@string/title_activity_settings" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.SettingsActivity" android:parentActivityName="com.microsoft.office.officelens.MainActivity"/>         <activity android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize" android:label="" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.AboutActivity" android:parentActivityName="com.microsoft.office.officelens.SettingsActivity"/>         <activity android:label="" android:name="com.microsoft.office.officelens.FirstRunActivity" android:parentActivityName="com.microsoft.office.officelens.MainActivity" android:screenOrientation="portrait" android:theme="@style/OfficeLensFirstRunTheme"/>         <activity android:label="@string/title_activity_section_picker" android:name="com.microsoft.onenote.pickerlib.OneNotePickerActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light"/>         <activity android:exported="false" android:icon="@drawable/ms_logo" android:label="@string/webflow_header" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.authenticator.AccountAddPendingActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.MSA"/>         <activity android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize" android:exported="false" android:icon="@drawable/ms_logo" android:label="@string/webflow_header" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.ui.WebWizardActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.MSA" android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.SIGN_IN"/>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.RESOLVE_INTERRUPT"/>                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>             </intent-filter>         </activity>         <activity android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize" android:exported="false" android:icon="@drawable/ms_logo" android:label="@string/webflow_header" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.ui.AddAccountActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.MSA" android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.ADD_ACCOUNT"/>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.SIGN_UP_ACCOUNT"/>                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>             </intent-filter>         </activity>         <activity android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize" android:exported="false" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.ui.SignOutActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.MSA.Transparent"/>         <activity android:exported="false" android:icon="@drawable/ms_logo" android:label="@string/webflow_header" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.ui.AccountPickerActivity" android:theme="@style/Theme.MSA.Dialog">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.PICK_ACCOUNT"/>                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>             </intent-filter>         </activity>         <service android:exported="false" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.MsaService">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.GET_TICKET"/>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.UPDATE_PROFILE"/>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.SIGN_OUT"/>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.internal.SIGN_OUT_ALL_APPS"/>                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>             </intent-filter>         </service>         <service android:enabled="true" android:exported="false" android:name="com.microsoft.onlineid.sso.service.MsaSsoService">             <intent-filter>                 <action android:name="com.microsoft.msa.action.SSO_SERVICE"/>             </intent-filter>             <meta-data android:name="com.microsoft.msa.service.sso_version" android:value="1"/>             <meta-data android:name="com.microsoft.msa.service.sdk_version" android:value="@string/sdk_version_name"/>         </service>     </application>     <uses-permission android:name="com.android.vending.CHECK_LICENSE"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MANAGE_ACCOUNTS"/>     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_CREDENTIALS"/>     <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.telephony" android:required="false"/> </manifest> 

If you read this file carefully you will see that this is impossible to interact this the other API's. Neither 'broadcast' no proper 'intent-filter' to interact this the other applications.

This is impossible nowadays.

Anyway, obviously, you can save to local storage and retrieve the data from SD card using your app.