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

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 4

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()