How to get a list of installed media players

Question

In my app I have a menu item that I want to open up the user\'s preferred media player, only interested in audio. Ideally the first time the user chooses this item it would

Answer 1

/** 
     * get apps supporting video playing
     * @return 
     */  
    private List<String> queryPlayerPackageNameLst()  
    {         
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);  
        intent.setDataAndType(Uri.parse(video), "video/*");  

        PackageManager pm = getPackageManager();  

        List<ResolveInfo> infos = pm.queryIntentActivities(intent,PackageManager.MATCH_UNINSTALLED_PACKAGES);  

        List<String> packageNameLst = null;  

        if (infos != null && infos.size() > 0)  
        {  
            packageNameLst = new ArrayList<String>(infos.size());  

            for(int i=0; i<infos.size(); i++)  
            {  
                ResolveInfo info = infos.get(i);  

                packageNameLst.add(info.activityInfo.packageName);  
                //info.activityInfo.name  
            }  
        }  

        return packageNameLst;  
    }  

Answer 2

/* For my samsung galaxy s4 running android version 5.0, none of the solutions above works but i found another solution. Works perfectly. Here is the code for someone who might need help. */

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File("content://media/internal/audio/media")), "audio/*");
List activities = this.getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(intent, 0);
List activities; activities = getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(intent, 0); int count = activities.size(); String a = Integer.toString(count);

//set alert for executing the task
AlertDialog.Builder builder1 = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
builder1.setMessage("Handle: " + a);
builder1.setCancelable(true);

AlertDialog alert11 = builder1.create();
alert11.show(); 

Answer 3

Intent resolveIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
if (type.startsWith("audio/*")) {
    Uri uri = Uri.withAppendedPath(
            MediaStore.Audio.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, "1");
    resolveIntent.setDataAndType(uri, type);
} else if (type.startsWith("video/*")) {
    Uri uri = Uri.withAppendedPath(
            MediaStore.Video.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, "1");
    resolveIntent.setDataAndType(uri, type);
} else if (type.startsWith("application/pdf")) {
    resolveIntent.setType(type);
}

List<ResolveInfo> pkgAppsList = mContext.getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(resolveIntent, PackageManager.GET_RESOLVED_FILTER);

Here is my solution, If you want get a list of "video/" or "audio/" APPs, you should use "setDataAndType"; But if you want to get a list of "text/*" or "pdf" APPs, you can use "setType".

Answer 4

For my Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android version 5.0, none of the solutions above work, but I found another solution. Works perfectly. Here is the code for someone who might need help.

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File("content://media/internal/audio/media")), "audio/*");
    List<ResolveInfo> activities = this.getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(intent, 0);
    // content://media/internal/audio/media
    //List<ResolveInfo> activities;
    activities = getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(intent, 0);
    int count = activities.size();
    String a = Integer.toString(count);

    //set alert for executing the task
    AlertDialog.Builder builder1 = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
    builder1.setMessage("Handle: " + a);
    builder1.setCancelable(true);

    AlertDialog alert11 = builder1.create();
    alert11.show(); 

Answer 5

Intent resolveIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
resolveIntent.setDataAndType(Uri.parse("file://"), MIMEType);
List<ResolveInfo> pkgAppsList = mContext.getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(resolveIntent, PackageManager.MATCH_DEFAULT_ONLY| PackageManager.GET_RESOLVED_FILTER);

I think this is better!

Answer 6

OK here is how I ask the OS for a list of installed audio players.

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
Uri uri = Uri.withAppendedPath(MediaStore.Audio.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,"1"); 
intent.setData(uri);
List<ResolveInfo> playerList;
playerList = packageManager.queryIntentActivities(intent, 0);

playerList will then be populated with ResolveInfo objects for every app on the phone that claims to handle audio. From the ResolveInfo you can get things like package name to launch the activity, you can get icons and app names. I use it to populate a custom dialog that looks and acts like the stock Android dialog for choosing an activity to launch. I also have the option for the user to set the chosen app as default.

This isn't perfect. You are at the mercy of the OS and the app's intent filters. I have tried this with a few phones and the following apps show up properly: Stock media player for original Droid, stock media player for HTC phones, doubleTwist and MixZing. However, I installed Zimly and it does not show up. I suspect their intent filters aren't set up for audio.

I was also worried there may be cases when MediaStore.Audio.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI does not have any audio. I have tried this code immediately following a reboot and it works. I have not tried it on a phone with no user media installed.