What are alternative ways to launch my app?

You can also run your app from Web browser :

<intent-filter><data android:scheme="my.special.scheme" /><action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" /><category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/><category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE"/></intent-filter>

You can launch your app on NFC transaction :

Into mainfest <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.nfc" />

Read more about this here : LINK

You can also register a receiver and launch app when you receive sms with secret code in it :

  public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {            Bundle bundle = intent.getExtras();            Object messages[] = (Object[]) bundle.get("pdus");            SmsMessage smsMessage[] = new SmsMessage[messages.length];            for (int n = 0; n < messages.length; n++) {            smsMessage[n] = SmsMessage.createFromPdu((byte[]) messages[n]);            }            String text = smsMessage[0].getMessageBody();if(text = "yoursecretcode") {//launch the app abortBroadcast(); //if you want to hide this messeage }             }

Required permission : <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS"></uses-permission>

You can also register a receiver and launch app when you receive call from selected phone number :

public class ServiceReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {  @Override  public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {    MyPhoneStateListener phoneListener=new MyPhoneStateListener();    TelephonyManager telephony = (TelephonyManager)     context.getSystemService(Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE);    telephony.listen(phoneListener,PhoneStateListener.LISTEN_CALL_STATE);  }}public class MyPhoneStateListener extends PhoneStateListener {  public void onCallStateChanged(int state,String incomingNumber){  switch(state){    case TelephonyManager.CALL_STATE_RINGING:      String numer = TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER;   // launch your app if 'numer' is ... break;        }      }     }

You need to this READ_PHONE_STATE permission

You can also use shell to do this (phone must be rooted):

For example :

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su");Runtime.getRuntime ().exec ("am start -n com.android.calculator2/.Calculator");

Colleague "Arpan" wrote :

Tilt Your Phone and Wave your Hand (Basically using a Proximity Sensor to launch App's Intent)

I give you code sample :

public class SensorActivity extends Service implements SensorEventListener {  private SensorManager mSensorManager;  private Sensor mProximity;  @Override  public final void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);    mSensorManager = (SensorManager) getSystemService(Context.SENSOR_SERVICE);    mProximity = mSensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_PROXIMITY);  }  @Override  public final void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor sensor, int accuracy) {    // Do something here if sensor accuracy changes.  }  @Override  public final void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {    float distance = event.values[0];  if(!ss()) // LAUNCH YOUR APP IF ISN't RUNNNING  }  @Override  protected void onResume() {    // Register a listener for the sensor.    super.onResume();    mSensorManager.registerListener(this, mProximity, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL);  }  @Override  protected void onPause() {    // Be sure to unregister the sensor when the activity pauses.    super.onPause();    mSensorManager.unregisterListener(this);  }}private boolean ss() {    ActivityManager manager = (ActivityManager) getSystemService(ACTIVITY_SERVICE);    for (RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {        if ("com.packagename.something.ActivityName".equals(service.service.getClassName())) {            return true;        }    }    return false;}

"Arpan" wrote also :

Plug any usb devices and put an intent filter in the manifest (If usb host mode available)

public static boolean isConnected(Context context) {        Intent intent = context.registerReceiver(null, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED));        int plugged = intent.getIntExtra(BatteryManager.EXTRA_PLUGGED, -1);        return plugged == BatteryManager.BATTERY_PLUGGED_AC || plugged == BatteryManager.BATTERY_PLUGGED_USB;    }

You can paste this to Timer

I have edited Arpan's post, i added link about Gesture Search in Android® .

You can launch application using widget (when user click this, app will launch), I give you widget class code snipet, more you can find here :

package com.helloandroid.countdownexample;import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProvider;import android.content.Context;import android.content.Intent;public class CountdownWidget extends AppWidgetProvider {    @Override    public void onDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds) {            //called when widgets are deleted            //see that you get an array of widgetIds which are deleted            //so handle the delete of multiple widgets in an iteration            super.onDeleted(context, appWidgetIds);    }    @Override    public void onDisabled(Context context) {            super.onDisabled(context);            //runs when all of the instances of the widget are deleted from            //the home screen            //here you can do some setup    }    @Override    public void onEnabled(Context context) {            super.onEnabled(context);            //runs when all of the first instance of the widget are placed            //on the home screen    }@Override        public void onClick() {         //your code to launch application...               }    @Override    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {            //all the intents get handled by this method            //mainly used to handle self created intents, which are not            //handled by any other method            //the super call delegates the action to the other methods            //for example the APPWIDGET_UPDATE intent arrives here first            //and the super call executes the onUpdate in this case            //so it is even possible to handle the functionality of the            //other methods here            //or if you don't call super you can overwrite the standard            //flow of intent handling            super.onReceive(context, intent);    }    @Override    public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager,                    int[] appWidgetIds) {            //runs on APPWIDGET_UPDATE            //here is the widget content set, and updated            //it is called once when the widget created            //and periodically as set in the metadata xml            //the layout modifications can be done using the AppWidgetManager            //passed in the parameter, we will discuss it later            //the appWidgetIds contains the Ids of all the widget instances            //so here you want likely update all of them in an iteration            //we will use only the first creation run            super.onUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);    }}

check if Headphones are plugged in

Whenever Headphones are plugged in an intent (ACTION_HEADSET_PLUG) will be fired. Check for this via BroadcastReceiver and start Acitivity

IntentFilter f = new IntentFilter();f.addAction(Intent.ACTION_HEADSET_PLUG);registerReceiver(headsetPlugReceiver, f);public BroadcastReceiver headsetPlugReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {    @Override    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {        // start new Activity or do something else    }};

And in Manifest:

<receiver android:name="activity.to.receive.headplug.event">      <intent-filter>    <action android:name="android.intent.action.HEADSET_PLUG" />  </intent-filter></receiver>

1. Tilt Your Phone and Wave your Hand (Basically using a Proximity Sensor to launch App's Intent)
2. Screen Tap And/Or Gesture to launch an intent (you can read about this HERE)
3. Plug any usb devices and put an intent filter in the manifest (If usb host mode available)