How to start a Skype call from an Android app?

Question

I\'m trying to start a Skype intent from my Android App, passing a phone number. So far, thanks to other people who ad similiar needs here on stackoverflow, I\'ve managed to

Answer 1

Refer to Skype developer: Skype URI tutorial: Android apps Also remember to add "?call" in your url. E.g

intent.setData(Uri.parse("skype:" + phoneNumber + "?call"));

Without it, Skype may not dial the number.

Answer 2

Refer this skype doc link Skype URI tutorial: Android apps

First need to check skype is installed or not using

/**
 * Determine whether the Skype for Android client is installed on this device.
 */
public boolean isSkypeClientInstalled(Context myContext) {
  PackageManager myPackageMgr = myContext.getPackageManager();
  try {
    myPackageMgr.getPackageInfo("com.skype.raider", PackageManager.GET_ACTIVITIES);
  }
  catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
    return (false);
  }
  return (true);
}

initiate skype uri using

/**
 * Initiate the actions encoded in the specified URI.
 */
public void initiateSkypeUri(Context myContext, String mySkypeUri) {

  // Make sure the Skype for Android client is installed.
  if (!isSkypeClientInstalled(myContext)) {
    goToMarket(myContext);
    return;
  }

  // Create the Intent from our Skype URI.
  Uri skypeUri = Uri.parse(mySkypeUri);
  Intent myIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, skypeUri);

  // Restrict the Intent to being handled by the Skype for Android client only.
  myIntent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.skype.raider", "com.skype.raider.Main"));
  myIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);

  // Initiate the Intent. It should never fail because you've already established the
  // presence of its handler (although there is an extremely minute window where that
  // handler can go away).
  myContext.startActivity(myIntent);

  return;
}

if Skype is not installed then redirect to market place using

/**
 * Install the Skype client through the market: URI scheme.
 */
public void goToMarket(Context myContext) {
  Uri marketUri = Uri.parse("market://details?id=com.skype.raider");
  Intent myIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, marketUri);
  myIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
  myContext.startActivity(myIntent);

  return;
}

Answer 3

See this answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/8844526/819355

Jeff suggests using a skype:<user name> instead of tel:<phone number>

After some studing of the skype apk with apktool, as suggested in that answer, I came up with this code, for me it's working:

public static void skype(String number, Context ctx) {
        try {
            //Intent sky = new Intent("android.intent.action.CALL_PRIVILEGED");
            //the above line tries to create an intent for which the skype app doesn't supply public api

                Intent sky = new Intent("android.intent.action.VIEW");
            sky.setData(Uri.parse("skype:" + number));
            Log.d("UTILS", "tel:" + number);
            ctx.startActivity(sky);
        } catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
            Log.e("SKYPE CALL", "Skype failed", e);
        }

    }

Answer 4

You should not include a specific class when calling an external app. Let the user decide of the application he/she wants to use. That's the way android has been designed and it's a better solution than obliging people to use a soft (moreover quite a slow, closed and inconvenient app to my mind).

In other words, just use the Uri, that's the job of skype of declaring its ability to capture such intents.