15. Implicit Intents
In Android, you can start an activity in another application on the device using an implicit intent. In an
explicit intent, you specify the class of the activity to start, and the OS will start it. In an implicit intent,
you describe the job that you need done, and the OS will start an activity in an appropriate application
for you.
In CriminalIntent, you will use implicit intents to enable picking a suspect for a Crime from the
user’s list of contacts and sending a text-based report of a crime. The user will choose a suspect from
whatever contacts app is installed on the device and will be offered a choice of apps to send the crime
report (Figure 15.1).
Figure 15.1 Opening contacts app and text-sending app
Using implicit intents to harness other applications is far easier than writing your own implementations
for common tasks. Users also appreciate being able to use apps they already know and like in
conjunction with your app.