Instagram from Android open on certain user and add caption to uploaded image

Question

Instagram for Android is very limited, from what I have seen so far. My scenario is simple: allow the user to edit a picture and when he clicks on Send:

Intent share = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
share.setType("image/jpeg");

Then with queryIntentActivities() I search to see if Instagram is installed. If it is I send the path of my image to be uploaded:

 share.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, Uri.parse("file:///" + path to myfile.png"));
 share.setClassName(resolveInfo.activityInfo.packageName, resolveInfo.activityInfo.name);
 share.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, "Sample subject");
 share.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, "Sample text");
 share.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TITLE, "Sample title");

The result: the image is uploaded using Instagram app (of course if I am logged in), but I can't add a Caption to it. None of the putExtra has any effect. So, is there any way to add a caption as intent parameter ?

And the other question, is it possible to open Instagram app with a certain user name filled in ?

Instagram would need to make this functionality available and public. — Larry McKenzie, May 17 '13 at 01:21
The Instagram API doesn't support uploading yet -> [**LINK**][1] [1]: http://stackoverflow.com/a/12533813/1832221 — lopez.mikhael, May 18 '13 at 10:52
@lopez.mikhael He isn't using Instagram API for this (as you say, it isn't supported yet). He checks if the user has Instagram installed and send the image using an Intent. — Alejandro Colorado, May 25 '13 at 15:40
What do you mean "with a certain user name filled in"? Do you mean opening a given user profile? — Alejandro Colorado, May 25 '13 at 19:24

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered May 25 '13 at 18:32

It looks as if Instagram's Android App ignores EXTRA_TEXT, EXTRA_SUBJECT and EXTRA_TITLE, so it seems that adding a caption while uploading an image is not possible. By the way, you can try different approaches to check if it ignores those extras in every case:

OPTION #1: Changing the MIME type.

You are setting the MIME type to "image/jpeg". Try using "image/" or "/*" to check if their app doesn't ignore those extras.

share.setType("image/*");

or

share.setType("*/*");

OPTION #2:

As you are sending multiple MIME types (image and text), maybe their app is expecting ACTION_SEND_MULTIPLE instead of ACTION_SEND.

Intent share = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND_MULTIPLE);

OPTION #3: Use MediaStore.Images.Media.insertImage(ContentResolver cr, String imagePath, String name, String description) function:

Intent share = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
share.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, Uri.parse(MediaStore.Images.Media.insertImage(getContentResolver(), "file:///" + path to myfile.png", "Sample title", "Sample description")));
share.setType("image/jpeg");
share.setClassName(resolveInfo.activityInfo.packageName, resolveInfo.activityInfo.name);

OPTION #4: Post your issue in their developer forum, although there are similar questions that remain unsolved:

And don't forget to come back and tell us their answer!

Since there wasn't any response to this answer: - Setting type to \*/\* sends me straight to the news feed - Looks like are a number of ways to get an image over to the Instagram application, but no way to include a caption. Please correct me if I'm wrong, and please post any solutions to include a caption. — Kent Robin, Jun 11 '14 at 08:04

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 09 '14 at 20:23

4

It looks like Instagram has updated their app to accept EXTRA_TEXT to add a caption. If the user has an updated version of Instagram (July 1, 2014 version or later) you can post an image and add a caption with the following code:

Intent instagram = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_SEND);
instagram.setType("image/*");
instagram.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, [URI of photo]);
instagram.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, [Text of caption]);
instagram.setPackage(instagramPackageName);
startActivity(instagram);

Users with older versions will still get the image, but not have the caption be pre populated.

This code is assuming you have already been through the auth flow.

answered Jul 09 '14 at 20:23

Chriskot

647
4
7

Thanks for sharing this, it's great that they finally added this option. – Alin Jul 10 '14 at 09:55
3

I can confirm they remove the option to set the caption sometime, last week. EXTRA_TEXT disappeared from the documentation: https://instagram.com/developer/mobile-sharing/android-intents/ – Leonel Galán Aug 04 '15 at 15:41
Late answer, but might help someone...I just put whatever caption I want to send to Instagram in the clipboard. I have a little popup that instructs the user to long-press Instagram's caption and then simply click 'paste' to insert whatever caption text was generated in my app. – Martin Mar 17 '16 at 17:48

Instagram from Android open on certain user and add caption to uploaded image

2 Answers2

Linked