The following assumes that you have already basic knowledge in Android development. Please check the Android development tutorial to learn the basics.

A PendingIntent is a token that you give to another application (e.g. Notification Manager, Alarm Manager or other 3rd party applications), which allows this other application to use the permissions of your application to execute a predefined piece of code.

To perform a broadcast via a pending intent so get a PendingIntent via the getBroadcast() method of the PendingIntent class. To perform an activity via an pending intent you receive the activity via PendingIntent.getActivity().

Create a new project called de.vogella.android.notificationmanager with the activity class called CreateNotificationActivity. This activity should use the main.xml layout file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:onClick="createNotification"
        android:text="Create Notification" >
    </Button>

</LinearLayout> 

Create the following result.xml layout file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="This is the result activity opened from the notification" >
    </TextView>

</LinearLayout> 

Create a new activity called NotificationReceiverActivity with the following coding. Don't forget to register the activity in the AndroidManfest.mf.

package de.vogella.android.notificationmanager;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;

public class NotificationReceiverActivity extends Activity {
  @Override
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.result);
  }
} 

Change the CreateNotificationActivity class to the following coding.

package de.vogella.android.notificationmanager;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.NotificationManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;

public class CreateNotificationActivity extends Activity {
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);
  }

  public void createNotification(View view) {
    // Prepare intent which is triggered if the
    // notification is selected
    Intent intent = new Intent(this, NotificationReceiverActivity.class);
    PendingIntent pIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, intent, 0);

    // Build notification
    // Actions are just fake
    Notification noti = new Notification.Builder(this)
        .setContentTitle("New mail from " + "test@gmail.com")
        .setContentText("Subject").setSmallIcon(R.drawable.icon)
        .setContentIntent(pIntent)
        .addAction(R.drawable.icon, "Call", pIntent)
        .addAction(R.drawable.icon, "More", pIntent)
        .addAction(R.drawable.icon, "And more", pIntent).build();
    NotificationManager notificationManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    // Hide the notification after its selected
    noti.flags |= Notification.FLAG_AUTO_CANCEL;

    notificationManager.notify(0, noti);

  }
} 

Run your application and press the button. A new notification is created. If you select it your second activity will be displayed.

Please help me to support this article:

Before posting questions, please see the vogella FAQ. If you have questions or find an error in this article please use the www.vogella.com Google Group. I have created a short list how to create good questions which might also help you.