Android - Sending SMS

In Android, you can use SmsManager API or devices Built-in SMS application 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 application

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 listed 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.howcodex/MainActivity.java.

package com.example.howcodex;

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;

public 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.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
         public void onClick(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
   public 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(getApplicationContext(), "SMS sent.", 
                     Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else {
               Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), 
                  "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 howcodex 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_alignParentTop="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_alignRight="@+id/imageButton"
      android:layout_alignEnd="@+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_alignLeft="@+id/editText"
      android:layout_alignStart="@+id/editText"
      android:textColorHint="@color/abc_primary_text_material_dark"
      android:layout_alignRight="@+id/imageButton"
      android:layout_alignEnd="@+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">howcodex</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.howcodex" >
  
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS" />
   
   <application
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      
      <activity
         android:name="com.example.howcodex.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>
      
   </application>
</manifest>

Let's try to run your howcodex application. 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 click Run icon from the toolbar. Before starting your application, Android studio installer will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android application.

Now you can enter a desired mobile number and a text message to be sent on that number. Finally click on Send SMS button to send your SMS. Make sure your GSM/CDMA connection is working fine to deliver 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 client. Next section will show you how to use existing SMS client to send SMS.

Using Built-in Intent to send SMS

You can use Android Intent to send SMS by calling built-in SMS functionality 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 client 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 client 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.howcodex/MainActivity.java.

package com.example.howcodex;

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;

public 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.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
         public void onClick(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
   public 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 howcodex 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_alignParentTop="true"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textSize="30dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Howcodex "
      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_alignRight="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_alignEnd="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_marginTop="54dp"
      android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/imageView"
      android:layout_alignStart="@+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">howcodex</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.howcodex" >
      
   <application
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      
      <activity
         android:name="com.example.howcodex.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>
      
   </application>
</manifest>

Let's try to run your howcodex application. 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 click Run icon from the toolbar. Before starting your application, Android studio will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android application.

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 clients 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.