Make my app launch when secret code entered?

Question

How would I make my app launch when a secret code, such as *#*#12345#*#* is entered into the dialer?

I couldn\'t find a solution in the Android docs.

Answer 1

Insted broadcast reciever maybe you should register to proper activity intent. For example Intent.ACTION_CALL looks promessing. Problem is how to filter intents to recive only this one specyfic number. I suspect that it would look like this (I'm gesing based on what I've found in documentation):

<action name=".YourAction">
    <intent-filter . . . >
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.CALL" />
        <!-- data is crutial here, you have to figuire it out exacly yourself -->
        <data android:scheme="tel" android:path="yourSpecyficSecretCode" />
    </intent-filter>
</action>

Look here and here. Use LogCat to see what exacly intent contatins then you can filter this properly.

Answer 2

This is how I did it:

I changed my main activity to have no intent-filters:

<activity
            android:name=".ParentTrap"
            android:label="@string/title_activity_parent_trap"
            android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Holo" >
        </activity>

I then made a broadcast receiver with the intent filter action: android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE

I then added data to it. The entire thing is below:

<receiver android:name=".ParentTrap$Launch" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE" />

                <data
                    android:host="(secret code)"
                    android:scheme="android_secret_code" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

Once done, make a class (I made the Launch class in my main class, extending BroadCast Receiver), then in the onReceive class, fire an intent to launch the activity.

Then typing *#*#(secret code)#*#* into the dialer will launch the app.

Answer 3

Create a broadcast receiver with this action:

• ACTION_NEW_OUTGOING_CALL

In the extras you find the dialed number.

Edit: Here is tutorial for broadcast receiver.