Telephony

Note: These APIs are not available on all Android-powered devices. If your app depends on telephony features such as for managing SMS messages, include a {@code <uses-feature>} element in your manifest that declares the {@code "android.hardware.telephony"} hardware feature. Alternatively, you can check for telephony availability at runtime using either {@link android.content.pm.PackageManager#hasSystemFeature hasSystemFeature(PackageManager.FEATURE_TELEPHONY)} or {@link android.telephony.TelephonyManager#getPhoneType}.

Creating an SMS app

Only the default SMS app (selected by the user in system settings) is able to write to the SMS Provider (the tables defined within the {@code Telephony} class) and only the default SMS app receives the {@link android.provider.Telephony.Sms.Intents#SMS_DELIVER_ACTION} broadcast when the user receives an SMS or the {@link android.provider.Telephony.Sms.Intents#WAP_PUSH_DELIVER_ACTION} broadcast when the user receives an MMS.

Any app that wants to behave as the user's default SMS app must handle the following intents:

• In a broadcast receiver, include an intent filter for {@link Sms.Intents#SMS_DELIVER_ACTION} ("android.provider.Telephony.SMS_DELIVER"). The broadcast receiver must also require the {@link android.Manifest.permission#BROADCAST_SMS} permission.

  This allows your app to directly receive incoming SMS messages.

• In a broadcast receiver, include an intent filter for {@link Sms.Intents#WAP_PUSH_DELIVER_ACTION}} ({@code "android.provider.Telephony.WAP_PUSH_DELIVER"}) with the MIME type "application/vnd.wap.mms-message". The broadcast receiver must also require the {@link android.Manifest.permission#BROADCAST_WAP_PUSH} permission.

  This allows your app to directly receive incoming MMS messages.

• In your activity that delivers new messages, include an intent filter for {@link android.content.Intent#ACTION_SENDTO} ("android.intent.action.SENDTO" ) with schemas, sms:, smsto:, mms:, and mmsto:.

  This allows your app to receive intents from other apps that want to deliver a message.

• In a service, include an intent filter for {@link android.telephony.TelephonyManager#ACTION_RESPOND_VIA_MESSAGE} ("android.intent.action.RESPOND_VIA_MESSAGE") with schemas, sms:, smsto:, mms:, and mmsto:. This service must also require the {@link android.Manifest.permission#SEND_RESPOND_VIA_MESSAGE} permission.

  This allows users to respond to incoming phone calls with an immediate text message using your app.

Other apps that are not selected as the default SMS app can only read the SMS Provider, but may also be notified when a new SMS arrives by listening for the {@link Sms.Intents#SMS_RECEIVED_ACTION} broadcast, which is a non-abortable broadcast that may be delivered to multiple apps. This broadcast is intended for apps that—while not selected as the default SMS app—need to read special incoming messages such as to perform phone number verification.

For more information about building SMS apps, read the blog post, Getting Your SMS Apps Ready for KitKat.