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

Question

Is this even possible without calling a specific package? I have found countless examples of sending email via intent, but I can find nothing about simply opening the default email client on the device via button press (preferably with a chooser dialog in case the user has multiple clients).

Answer 1

There is no default/easy way to do this. 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 2

There is no standard Intent action to open the "inbox view" of "the default email client on the device".

Answer 3

This one works nowadays

   Intent intent = new Intent("android.intent.action.MAIN");
        intent.addCategory("android.intent.category.APP_EMAIL");
        startActivity(Intent.createChooser(intent, ""));

Answer 4

you can try this from your activity object:

it will not necessarily take you to the Inbox directly but it will open the email application:

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