Automatic email sending in Android app using default Gmail account

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1

I’m working on an Android app and need help with a specific email feature. Here’s what I’m trying to do:

  1. Send emails directly from my app using only the default Gmail account on the device
  2. Skip the Gmail compose screen and send the email automatically when a button is pressed

Is this possible? If so, how can I implement it?

Also, I’m curious if there’s a way to prevent users from editing the recipient, subject, and body of the email before it’s sent. Any insights on this would be great!

Here’s a basic code structure I’m considering:

public class EmailSender {
    private Context appContext;
    private String recipient;
    private String subject;
    private String body;

    public EmailSender(Context context) {
        this.appContext = context;
    }

    public void setEmailDetails(String to, String sub, String message) {
        recipient = to;
        subject = sub;
        body = message;
    }

    public void sendEmail() {
        // Logic to send email automatically
    }
}

Can anyone help me flesh out the sendEmail() method or suggest a better approach? Thanks!

2

hey, i’ve dealt with this before. it’s tricky cuz android’s pretty strict about email stuff. you could try using a 3rd party email api like SendGrid or Mailgun. they let u send emails from ur app without needing the gmail app. just make sure u get user permission first or you might get in trouble lol. good luck!

3

I’ve implemented something similar in one of my projects. While it’s possible to send emails programmatically, there are some limitations to consider.

For security reasons, Android doesn’t allow apps to send emails silently using the default Gmail account without user interaction. The closest you can get is using an Intent to pre-fill the email fields.

Here’s a basic implementation:

public void sendEmail() {
    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
    intent.setType("text/plain");
    intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_EMAIL, new String[]{recipient});
    intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, subject);
    intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, body);

    try {
        appContext.startActivity(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Send email"));
    } catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
        // Handle error
    }
}

This will open the email client with pre-filled fields, but the user will still need to press ‘send’. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in way to prevent users from editing the email content before sending.

4

As someone who’s worked extensively with Android development, I can tell you that achieving fully automatic email sending without user interaction is especially challenging due to security constraints. One alternative is to bypass using the device’s default Gmail account and instead implement a dedicated email server for your app. This setup allows much more control over the process through using tools like the JavaMail API to manage SMTP communication. For instance, your app could send a request to a server-side component that handles email dispatching. Although this approach is more complex, it effectively eliminates the need for user intervention while ensuring that users are informed and have consented to automated email operations.