ACTION_VIEW intent for a file with unknown MimeType

Question

My app has a feature that browse files on your phone and SD card and open them using other apps. I want a solution where I don\'t have to specify the MimeType and can work w

Answer 1

You have to use the MimeTypeMap and get the type using the file extension. Then pass it to intent to open any type of file.

Kotlin

fun getIntentForFile(filePath: String, context: Context): Intent {
    val intent = Intent()

    val uri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(
        context,
        context.applicationContext.packageName + ".fileprovider",
        File(filePath)
    )
    intent.action = Intent.ACTION_VIEW
    intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, uri)
    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION)
    intent.setDataAndType(uri, getFileContentType(filePath))
    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    return intent
}

fun getFileContentType(filePath: String): String? {
    val file = File(filePath)
    val map = MimeTypeMap.getSingleton()
    val ext = MimeTypeMap.getFileExtensionFromUrl(file.name)
    var type = map.getMimeTypeFromExtension(ext)
    if (type == null) type = "*/*"
    return type
}

Answer 2

try this one almost covers all file extensions

  public void openFile(File url) {

    Uri uri = Uri.fromFile(url);

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    if (url.toString().contains(".doc") || url.toString().contains(".docx")) {
        // Word document
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/msword");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".pdf")) {
        // PDF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/pdf");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".ppt") || url.toString().contains(".pptx")) {
        // Powerpoint file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/vnd.ms-powerpoint");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".xls") || url.toString().contains(".xlsx")) {
        // Excel file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/vnd.ms-excel");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".zip") || url.toString().contains(".rar")) {
        // WAV audio file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/x-wav");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".rtf")) {
        // RTF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/rtf");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".wav") || url.toString().contains(".mp3")) {
        // WAV audio file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "audio/x-wav");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".gif")) {
        // GIF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "image/gif");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".jpg") || url.toString().contains(".jpeg") || url.toString().contains(".png")) {
        // JPG file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "image/jpeg");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".txt")) {
        // Text file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "text/plain");
    } else if (url.toString().contains(".3gp") || url.toString().contains(".mpg") || url.toString().contains(".mpeg") || url.toString().contains(".mpe") || url.toString().contains(".mp4") || url.toString().contains(".avi")) {
        // Video files
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "video/*");
    } else {
        //if you want you can also define the intent type for any other file
        //additionally use else clause below, to manage other unknown extensions
        //in this case, Android will show all applications installed on the device
        //so you can choose which application to use
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "*/*");
    }

    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    context.startActivity(intent);

}

Answer 3

Intent myIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
String mime=URLConnection.guessContentTypeFromStream(new FileInputStream(item));
if(mime==null) mime=URLConnection.guessContentTypeFromName(item.getName());
myIntent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(item), mime);
startActivity(myIntent);

At first I try to guess with the file content, but as i see it always returns null.

Answer 4

createChooser should do the trick:

Intent myIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
myIntent.setData(Uri.fromFile(item));
Intent j = Intent.createChooser(myIntent, "Choose an application to open with:");
startActivity(j);

Answer 5

Simple share file ("multipart/")

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, Uri.fromFile(file));
intent.setType("multipart/");
startActivity(intent);

Answer 6

This will work surely..

 private void showFile(File file, String filetype) 
{
                MimeTypeMap myMime = MimeTypeMap.getSingleton();
                Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                String mimeType = 
                myMime.getMimeTypeFromExtension(filetype);
                if(android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >=24) {
                 Uri fileURI = FileProvider.getUriForFile(getContext(),
                            BuildConfig.APPLICATION_ID + ".provider",
                            file);
                    intent.setDataAndType(fileURI, mimeType);

                }else {
                    intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file), mimeType);
                }
                intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK|Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION);
                try {
                    context.startActivity(intent);
                }catch (ActivityNotFoundException e){
                    Toast.makeText(context, "No Application found to open this type of file.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

                }
            }