How to send message on WhatsApp in Android

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Whatsapp is the one of most popular messaging App. Many android applications need the functionality to share some messages directly from their app to WhatsApp. For example, if a user wants to share the app or share a message from the app then this functionality comes in use. Either user can send a text or a predefined text can also be sent through this. This article demonstrates how an android application can send messages on WhatsApp. Whatsapp must be installed on the user’s device.

Approach

Step 1:Open the activity_main.xml file and add the layout code. A message input container as EditText and a Button to send this message is added.

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity"
    android:orientation="vertical">
  
   <!-- EditText to take message input from user-->
   <EditText
       android:id="@+id/message"
       android:layout_width="match_parent"
       android:layout_height="wrap_content"
       android:layout_margin="16dp"
       android:hint="Enter you message here"
       android:lines="8"
       android:inputType="textMultiLine"
       android:gravity="left|top"
       />
  
   <!-- Button to send message on Whatsapp-->
   <Button
       android:id="@+id/submit"
       android:layout_width="wrap_content"
       android:layout_height="wrap_content"
       android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
       android:text="Submit"
       android:background="@color/colorPrimary"
       android:textColor="@android:color/white"/>
  
</LinearLayout>

Step 2: Take the reference of EditText and Button in Java file. References are taken using the ids with the help of findViewById() method.

Taking reference to EditText

EditText messageEditText = findViewById(R.id.message);
Taking reference to Button

Button submit = findViewById(R.id.submit);

Step 3: Write function to send message to whatsapp. Create an intent with ACTION_SEND and specify the whatsapp package name to this so that it opens whatsapp directly.

com.whatsapp is the package name for official whatsapp application.

private void sendMessage(String message)
{
  
    // Creating new intent
    Intent intent
        = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
  
    intent.setType("text/plain");
    intent.setPackage("com.whatsapp");
  
    // Give your message here
    intent.putExtra(
        Intent.EXTRA_TEXT,
        message);
  
    // Checking whether Whatsapp
    // is installed or not
    if (intent
            .resolveActivity(
                getPackageManager())
        == null) {
        Toast.makeText(
                 this,
                 "Please install whatsapp first.",
                 Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
            .show();
        return;
    }
  
    // Starting Whatsapp
    startActivity(intent);
}

Step 4: Set onClickListener to the button. It takes the text entered by the user and calls the function sendMessage in which the text message is sent as a parameter.

submit.setOnClickListener(
    new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view)
        {
  
            // Getting the text
            // from edit text
            String message
                = messageEditText
                      .getText()
                      .toString();
  
            // Calling the function
            // to send message
            sendMessage(message);
        }
    });

Below is the complete MainActivity.java file:

MainActivity.java

package com.gfg;
  
import androidx.appcompat
    .app.AppCompatActivity;
  
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;
  
public class MainActivity
    extends AppCompatActivity {
  
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(
        Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
  
        // Taking reference of Edit Text
        final EditText messageEditText
            = findViewById(R.id.message);
  
        // Taking reference to button
        Button submit
            = findViewById(R.id.submit);
  
        submit.setOnClickListener(
            new View.OnClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(View view)
                {
  
                    // Getting the text
                    // from edit text
                    String message
                        = messageEditText
                              .getText()
                              .toString();
  
                    // Calling the function
                    // to send message
                    sendMessage(message);
                }
            });
    }
  
    private void sendMessage(String message)
    {
  
        // Creating new intent
        Intent intent
            = new Intent(
                Intent.ACTION_SEND);
  
        intent.setType("text/plain");
        intent.setPackage("com.whatsapp");
  
        // Give your message here
        intent.putExtra(
            Intent.EXTRA_TEXT,
            message);
  
        // Checking whether Whatsapp
        // is installed or not
        if (intent
                .resolveActivity(
                    getPackageManager())
            == null) {
            Toast.makeText(
                     this,
                     "Please install whatsapp first.",
                     Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
                .show();
            return;
        }
  
        // Starting Whatsapp
        startActivity(intent);
    }
}