An Intent in Android is a messaging object used to request an action from another app component. It provides a way for components to communicate with each other, even across application boundaries[1][2][3].
Intents can be used to:
Launch an Activity
Start or communicate with a Service
Deliver a broadcast
Display a web page
Dial a phone number
Send an email
And more[3]
There are two main types of Intents:
Explicit Intents specify the component to start by name. This is used for application-internal communication, such as launching a specific activity within the same app[1][4].
Implicit Intents do not name a specific component, but instead declare a general action to perform. The Android system will determine which app components can handle the intent based on the action, data, and other intent properties[1][4][5].
