Send SMS in Android

Introduction

This article explains how to send a Short Message Service (SMS) message in Android. Android Studio is used to create the sample application.

SMS sends messages among various mobile devices over a network. You can send an SMS message in Android using an Intent. You need to write this code to send an SMS message in Android.

String number = mobileno.getText().toString();
String message = message.getText().toString();
Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), MainActivity.class);
PendingIntent pIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(getApplicationContext(), 0, i, 0);
SmsManager sms = SmsManager.getDefault();
sms.sendTextMessage(no, null, msg, pIntent, null);

What is an Intent?

An Intent is message ed among the components, such as Activities, BroadcastRecceiver, Services, ContentProviders and so on to perform an action in Android. Using it you can start an activity, receive a broadcast message, start a service and so on.

Intents are of two types

An Intent is one of the following two types:

Implicit Intent
Explicit intent

Implicit Intent

An Implicit Intent is an Intent that does not specify the component. The information will be available from the intent that is provided by the Android system. Using an intent you can open a web page.

Explicit Intent

An Explicit Intent is an Intent that specifies the component. Using this you can move from one activity to another.

What is PendingIntent

A PendingIntent is a token that to be provided to a foreign application, that allows the foreign application to use your application permissions to execute a predefined piece of code.

SMS Manager

The SMS Manager is a class that sends an SMS message from one device to another in Android. The SMS Manager class provides the getDefault() method to create the instance of it.

In this application, you use two editTexts in an XML file to enter a mobile number and a message that you want to send to the other device on a button click. In the Java class set the button on its clicklistener. Inside the onClick() method you will write the code to send an SMS message. In the Android Manifest.xml file, you will write the send SMS permission.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS"></uses-permission>

Step 1

Create a project as in the following:

Go to "File" -> "New project".

Step 2

Create an XML file with the following:

<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"
android:background="#abcdef">
<TextView
android:id="@+id/textView1"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Mobile No:" />
<EditText
android:id="@+id/editText1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
android:ems="10" />
<TextView
android:textStyle="bold"
android:id="@+id/textView2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="60dp"
android:text="Message:" />
<EditText
android:id="@+id/editText2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/editText1"
android:layout_below="@+id/editText1"
android:layout_marginTop="26dp"
android:ems="10"
android:inputType="textMultiLine" />
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Send Sms"
android:id="@+id/btn_send"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"></Button>
</RelativeLayout>

Step 3

Create a Java class file with the following.

In the Java class, you will use code from both editText to set the button on its ClickListener. Now create the intent. this intent as an argument to create the PendingIntent. Call the getDefault() method to create the instance of the SMS Manager class. After this call the sendTextMessage() to the message to the other device. Inside the onClick() method you will write the code to send an SMS message. In the Android Manifest.xml file, you will write the send SMS permission.

package com.sendsmsapplication;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.telephony.SmsManager;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
EditText edittText1,edittText2;
Button btn_Send;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
edittText1=(EditText)findViewById(R.id.editText1);
edittText2=(EditText)findViewById(R.id.editText2);
btn_Send=(Button)findViewById(R.id.btn_Send);
//Performing action on button click
btn_Send.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
@Override
public void onClick(View arg0) {
String number=edittText1.getText().toString();
String message=edittText2.getText().toString();
Intent i=new Intent(getApplicationContext(),MainActivity.class);
PendingIntent pIntent=PendingIntent.getActivity(getApplicationContext(), 0, i,0);
SmsManager sms=SmsManager.getDefault();
sms.sendTextMessage(number, null, message, pIntent,null);
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Message Sent !",
Toast.LENGTH_LONG).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.activity_main, menu);
return true;
}
}

Step 4

Android manifest. xml file

In the Android Manifest.xml file, you will write the send SMS permission.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.sendsmsapplication"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >
<uses-sdk
android:minSdkVersion="7"
android:targetSdkVersion="16" />
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
<activity
android:name="com.sendsmsapplication.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>
<uses-permission
android:name="android.permission.SEND_SMS"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS">
</uses-permission>
</manifest>

Step 5

Run this application on a real device.