How to setup a Splash Screen when an Android Maui App is started by an external app?

Question

I have a working app which I am now enhancing it by making it a Sharing Target. Consider that I am sending a simple text data such as a website link to my app. For this, I have added an Intent Filter as shown in the code below.

Everything works as expected except that when my app is launched by an external app (app acting as a Sharing Target) the Splash Screen is not shown and instead a blank page is shown. This makes sense because the Splash Screen is defined for the Main Activity and not for the Intent Filter.

My question is, therefore, how can I add a Splash Screen (or something equivalent like an animation) when my app is launched as Sharing Target?

I just want to improve on the dull blank page to a better UX,

[Activity(  Label = "@string/app_name",
            Exported = true, 
            Icon = "@mipmap/appicon",
            Theme = "@style/Maui.SplashTheme",
            MainLauncher = true,
            LaunchMode = LaunchMode.SingleTask,
            ConfigurationChanges = ConfigChanges.ScreenSize | ConfigChanges.Orientation | ConfigChanges.UiMode | ConfigChanges.ScreenLayout | ConfigChanges.SmallestScreenSize | ConfigChanges.Density, ScreenOrientation = ScreenOrientation.FullSensor)]

[IntentFilter([Intent.ActionSend], Categories = [Intent.CategoryDefault], Label = "@string/send_link",  DataMimeTypes = ["text/plain"])]


public partial class MainActivity : MauiAppCompatActivity
{
	protected override void OnCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
		Intent intent = this.Intent;

        if (Intent.ActionSend.Equals(intent.Action) && intent.Type != null)
        {
            if ("text/plain".Equals(intent.Type))
            {
				string sharedText = intent.GetStringExtra(Intent.ExtraText);

				if(sharedText is not null) 
				{
					// use text data as required
				}
            }
        }
	}
}


// When app is a Sharing Target after it is launched

protected override async void OnNewIntent(Intent intent)
{
    base.OnNewIntent(intent);

    string action = intent.Action;
    string type = intent.Type;

    if (Intent.ActionSend.Equals(intent.Action) && intent.Type != null)
    {
        if ("text/plain".Equals(intent.Type))
        {
            string sharedText = intent.GetStringExtra(Intent.ExtraText);

            if (sharedText is not null)
            {
                // use text data as required
            }

        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Hello,

It is not possible to set a special splashscreen on Android when launching from an external app.

how can I add a Splash Screen (or something equivalent like an animation) when my app is launched as Sharing Target?

For transition animations for adding Activities to Android applications, you can refer to Start an activity using transitions.

Best Regards,

Alec Liu.

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