receive_sharing_intent

A Flutter plugin that enables flutter apps to receive sharing photos, videos, text, urls or any other file types from another app.

Also, supports iOS Share extension and launching the host app automatically. Check the provided example for more info.

	Android	iOS
Support	SDK 19+ (Kotlin 1.9.22)	12.0+ (Swift 5.0)

Usage

To use this plugin, add receive_sharing_intent as a dependency in your pubspec.yaml file. For example:

dependencies:
  receive_sharing_intent: ^latest

Android

Add the following filters to your android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
.....
 <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

  <application
        android:name="io.flutter.app.FlutterApplication"
        ...
        >
<!--Set activity launchMode to singleTask, if you want to prevent creating new activity instance everytime there is a new intent.-->
    <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:launchMode="singleTask"
            android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme"
            android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard|screenSize|locale|layoutDirection|fontScale|screenLayout|density|uiMode"
            android:hardwareAccelerated="true"
            android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize">

            <!--TODO:  Add this filter, if you want support opening urls into your app-->
            <intent-filter>
               <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
               <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
               <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
               <data
                   android:scheme="https"
                   android:host="example.com"
                   android:pathPrefix="/invite"/>
            </intent-filter>

            <!--TODO:  Add this filter, if you want support opening files into your app-->
            <intent-filter>
              <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
              <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
              <data
                   android:mimeType="*/*"
                   android:scheme="content" />
            </intent-filter>

             <!--TODO: Add this filter, if you want to support sharing text into your app-->
            <intent-filter>
               <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
               <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
               <data android:mimeType="text/*" />
            </intent-filter>

            <!--TODO: Add this filter, if you want to support sharing images into your app-->
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="image/*" />
            </intent-filter>

            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND_MULTIPLE" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="image/*" />
            </intent-filter>

             <!--TODO: Add this filter, if you want to support sharing videos into your app-->
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="video/*" />
            </intent-filter>
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND_MULTIPLE" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="video/*" />
            </intent-filter>

            <!--TODO: Add this filter, if you want to support sharing any type of files-->
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="*/*" />
            </intent-filter>
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEND_MULTIPLE" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <data android:mimeType="*/*" />
            </intent-filter>
      </activity>

  </application>
</manifest>
....

iOS

1. Create Share Extension

• Using Xcode, go to File/New/Target and Choose "Share Extension".
• Give it a name, i.e., "Share Extension".

Make sure the deployment target for Runner.app and the share extension is the same.

2. Replace your ios/Share Extension/Info.plist with the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>AppGroupId</key>
    <string>$(CUSTOM_GROUP_ID)</string>
	<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
	<string>$(FLUTTER_BUILD_NUMBER)</string>
	<key>NSExtension</key>
	<dict>
		<key>NSExtensionAttributes</key>
        <dict>
            <key>PHSupportedMediaTypes</key>
               <array>
                    <!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing video into your app-->
                   <string>Video</string>
                   <!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing images into your app-->
                   <string>Image</string>
               </array>
            <key>NSExtensionActivationRule</key>
            <dict>
                <!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing text into your app-->
                <key>NSExtensionActivationSupportsText</key>
                <true/>
                <!--TODO: Add this tag, if you want to support sharing urls into your app-->
            	<key>NSExtensionActivationSupportsWebURLWithMaxCount</key>
            	<integer>1</integer>
            	<!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing images into your app-->
                <key>NSExtensionActivationSupportsImageWithMaxCount</key>
                <integer>100</integer>
                <!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing video into your app-->
                <key>NSExtensionActivationSupportsMovieWithMaxCount</key>
                <integer>100</integer>
                <!--TODO: Add this flag, if you want to support sharing other files into your app-->
                <!--Change the integer to however many files you want to be able to share at a time-->
				<key>NSExtensionActivationSupportsFileWithMaxCount</key>
				<integer>1</integer>
            </dict>
        </dict>
		<key>NSExtensionMainStoryboard</key>
		<string>MainInterface</string>
		<key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key>
		<string>com.apple.share-services</string>
	</dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

3. Add the following to your ios/Runner/Info.plist:

...
<key>AppGroupId</key>
<string>$(CUSTOM_GROUP_ID)</string>
<key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>CFBundleTypeRole</key>
			<string>Editor</string>
			<key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
			<array>
				<string>ShareMedia-$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER)</string>
			</array>
		</dict>
	</array>

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>To upload photos, please allow permission to access your photo library.</string>
...

4. Add the following to your ios/Runner/Runner.entitlements:

....
    <!--TODO:  Add this tag, if you want support opening urls into your app-->
    <key>com.apple.developer.associated-domains</key>
    <array>
        <string>applinks:example.com</string>
    </array>
....

5. Add the following to your ios/Podfile:

...
target 'Runner' do
  use_frameworks!
  use_modular_headers!

  flutter_install_all_ios_pods File.dirname(File.realpath(__FILE__))

  # Share Extension is name of Extension which you created which is in this case 'Share Extension'
  target 'Share Extension' do
    inherit! :search_paths
  end
end
...

6. Add Runner and Share Extension in the same group

• Go to Signing & Capabilities tab and add App Groups capability in BOTH Targets: Runner and Share Extension
• Add a new container with the name of your choice. For example group.MyContainer in the example project its group.com.kasem.ShareExtention
• Add User-defined(Build Settings -> +) string CUSTOM_GROUP_ID in BOTH Targets: Runner and Share Extension and set value to group id created above. You can use different group ids depends on your flavor schemes

7. Go to Build Phases of your Runner target and move Embed Foundation Extension to the top of Thin Binary.

8. Make your ShareViewController ios/Share Extension/ShareViewController.swift inherit from RSIShareViewController:

// If you get no such module 'receive_sharing_intent' error. 
// Go to Build Phases of your Runner target and
// move `Embed Foundation Extension` to the top of `Thin Binary`. 
import receive_sharing_intent

class ShareViewController: RSIShareViewController {
      
    // Use this method to return false if you don't want to redirect to host app automatically.
    // Default is true
    override func shouldAutoRedirect() -> Bool {
        return false
    }
    
}

Compiling issues and their fixes

• Error: No such module 'receive_sharing_intent'

  • Fix: Go to Build Phases of your Runner target and move Embed Foundation Extension to the top of Thin Binary.

• Error: App does not build after adding Share Extension?

  • Fix: Check Build Settings of your share extension and remove everything that tries to import Cocoapods from your main project. i.e. remove everything under Linking/Other Linker Flags

• You might need to disable bitcode for the extension target

• Error: Invalid Bundle. The bundle at 'Runner.app/Plugins/Sharing Extension.appex' contains disallowed file 'Frameworks'

  • Fix: https://stackoverflow.com/a/25789145/2061365

Full Example

main.dart

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'dart:async';

import 'package:receive_sharing_intent/receive_sharing_intent.dart';

void main() => runApp(MyApp());

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyAppState createState() => _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  late StreamSubscription _intentSub;
  final _sharedFiles = <SharedMediaFile>[];

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();

    // Listen to media sharing coming from outside the app while the app is in the memory.
    _intentSub = ReceiveSharingIntent.instance.getMediaStream().listen((value) {
      setState(() {
        _sharedFiles.clear();
        _sharedFiles.addAll(value);

        print(_sharedFiles.map((f) => f.toMap()));
      });
    }, onError: (err) {
      print("getIntentDataStream error: $err");
    });

    // Get the media sharing coming from outside the app while the app is closed.
    ReceiveSharingIntent.instance.getInitialMedia().then((value) {
      setState(() {
        _sharedFiles.clear();
        _sharedFiles.addAll(value);
        print(_sharedFiles.map((f) => f.toMap()));

        // Tell the library that we are done processing the intent.
        ReceiveSharingIntent.instance.reset();
      });
    });
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    _intentSub.cancel();
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    const textStyleBold = const TextStyle(fontWeight: FontWeight.bold);
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: const Text('Plugin example app'),
        ),
        body: Center(
          child: Column(
            children: <Widget>[
              Text("Shared files:", style: textStyleBold),
              Text(_sharedFiles
                      .map((f) => f.toMap())
                      .join(",\n****************\n")),
            ],
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}