Open gallery app from Android Intent

Question

I'm looking for a way to open the Android gallery application from an intent.

I do not want to return a picture, but rather just open the gallery to allow the user to use it as if they selected it from the launcher ( View pictures/folders ).

I have tried to do the following:

Intent intent = new Intent();  
intent.setAction(android.content.Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);  
intent.setType("image/*");
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);

However this is causing the application to close once I select a picture (I know this is because of the ACTION_GET_CONTENT ), but I need to just open the gallery.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Answer 1

I hope this will help you. This code works for me.

Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK,android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI);
 startActivityForResult(i, RESULT_LOAD_IMAGE);

ResultCode is used for updating the selected image to Gallery View

if (requestCode == RESULT_LOAD_IMAGE && resultCode == RESULT_OK
            && null != data) {
        Uri selectedImage = data.getData();
        String[] filePathColumn = { MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA };
        Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query(selectedImage,
                filePathColumn, null, null, null);

        if (cursor == null || cursor.getCount() < 1) {
            return; // no cursor or no record. DO YOUR ERROR HANDLING
        }

        cursor.moveToFirst();
        int columnIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(filePathColumn[0]);

        if(columnIndex < 0) // no column index
            return; // DO YOUR ERROR HANDLING

        String picturePath = cursor.getString(columnIndex);

        cursor.close(); // close cursor

        photo = decodeFilePath(picturePath.toString());

        List<Bitmap> bitmap = new ArrayList<Bitmap>();
        bitmap.add(photo);
        ImageAdapter imageAdapter = new ImageAdapter(
                AddIncidentScreen.this, bitmap);
        imageAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
        newTagImage.setAdapter(imageAdapter);
    }

Answer 2

This is what you need:

ACTION_VIEW

Change your code to:

Intent intent = new Intent();  
intent.setAction(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW);  
intent.setType("image/*");
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);

Answer 3

You can open gallery using following intent:

public static final int RESULT_GALLERY = 0;

Intent galleryIntent = new Intent(
                    Intent.ACTION_PICK,
                    android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI);
startActivityForResult(galleryIntent , RESULT_GALLERY );

If you want to get result URI or do anything else use this:

@Override
public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);

    switch (requestCode) {
    case QuestionEntryView.RESULT_GALLERY :
        if (null != data) {
            imageUri = data.getData();
            //Do whatever that you desire here. or leave this blank

        }
        break;
    default:
        break;
    }
}

Tested on Android 4.0+

Answer 4

1. Following can be used in Activity or Fragment.

     private File mCurrentPhoto; 

2. Add permissions

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" android:maxSdkVersion="18" /> 

3. Add Intents to open "image-selector" and "photo-capture"

    //A system-based view to select photos. private void dispatchPhotoSelectionIntent() { Intent galleryIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK, android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI); this.startActivityForResult(galleryIntent, REQUEST_IMAGE_SELECTOR); } //Open system camera application to capture a photo. private void dispatchTakePictureIntent() { Intent takePictureIntent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE); // Ensure that there's a camera activity to handle the intent if (takePictureIntent.resolveActivity(App.Instance.getPackageManager()) != null) { try { createImageFile(); } catch (IOException ex) { // Error occurred while creating the File } // Continue only if the File was successfully created if (mCurrentPhoto != null) { takePictureIntent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, Uri.fromFile(mCurrentPhoto)); startActivityForResult(takePictureIntent, REQUEST_IMAGE_CAPTURE); } } } 

4. Add handling when getting photo.

    @Override public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) { switch (requestCode) { case REQUEST_IMAGE_SELECTOR: if (resultCode == Activity.RESULT_OK && data != null && data.getData() != null) { String[] filePathColumn = { MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA }; Cursor cursor = App.Instance.getContentResolver().query(data.getData(), filePathColumn, null, null, null); if (cursor == null || cursor.getCount() < 1) { mCurrentPhoto = null; break; } cursor.moveToFirst(); int columnIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(filePathColumn[0]); if(columnIndex < 0) { // no column index mCurrentPhoto = null; break; } mCurrentPhoto = new File(cursor.getString(columnIndex)); cursor.close(); } else { mCurrentPhoto = null; } break; case REQUEST_IMAGE_CAPTURE: if (resultCode != Activity.RESULT_OK) { mCurrentPhoto = null; } break; } if (mCurrentPhoto != null) { ImageView imageView = (ImageView) [parent].findViewById(R.id.loaded_iv); Picasso.with(App.Instance).load(mCurrentPhoto).into(imageView); } super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data); } 

Answer 5

As you don't want a result to return, try following simple code.

Intent i=new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK);
            i.setType("image/*");
            startActivity(i);

Answer 6

if somebody still getting the error, even after adding the following code

 Intent intent = new Intent(); intent.setType("image/*"); intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT); startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select Picture"), PICK_IMAGE); 

then you might be opening the intent in another class (by calling) due to this the app will crash when you click the button.

SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM

Put intent in the class file which is connected to the button's layout file. for example- activity_main.xml contains the button and it is connected to MainActivity.java file . but due to fragmentation, you are defining the intent in some other class(lets says Activity.java) then your app will crash unless you place the intent in MainActivity.java file. I was getting this error and it is resolved by this.