How do I combine multiple Intent flags?

Bitwise-OR them: intent.setFlags(FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK). Each flag is a distinct bit, so OR-ing produces an int carrying all of them. The calculator on this page does the OR for you.

Why do some flags share the same hex value?

Activity flags and broadcast (receiver) flags are interpreted in separate contexts, so a few reuse the same bit — FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY and FLAG_RECEIVER_REGISTERED_ONLY are both 0x40000000. Never mix flags from different component types in one int.

What does FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP do?

If the target activity is already in the current task, Android clears every activity above it and delivers the Intent to that existing instance via onNewIntent, instead of creating a new one. It is often paired with FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP.

When do I need FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK?

When starting an activity from a non-Activity context such as a Service, BroadcastReceiver or application context, Android requires NEW_TASK because there is no existing task to host the activity. It is also used to launch into a separate task.

Does this tool run offline?

Yes. The flag table, search and combine calculator all run in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded, logged or stored.

Android Intent Flags Reference

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Android Intent flags, decoded

Intent flags fine-tune how Android launches activities, delivers broadcasts and grants temporary access to content URIs. They are bit constants on android.content.Intent, combined with bitwise-OR and passed to setFlags or addFlags. This reference lists the common FLAG_ACTIVITY_*, FLAG_RECEIVER_* and FLAG_GRANT_* flags with their real hex values, the component type each applies to and what behaviour they change — plus a calculator that OR’s your selection into a single int.

How it works

Each flag occupies one bit of a 32-bit int. To apply several, OR them together:

Intent i = new Intent(this, DetailActivity.class);
i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK);
startActivity(i);

Activity flags control the back stack and task affinity, receiver flags control broadcast delivery and ordering, and grant flags hand a receiver short-lived read or write access to the URIs in the Intent’s data or ClipData. Because the activity and receiver flag sets are read in different contexts, a handful share the same bit value — so only combine flags meant for the same component type.

Tips and notes

NEW_TASK is mandatory when starting an activity from a non-Activity context.
CLEAR_TOP + SINGLE_TOP is the standard “bring existing screen forward” combo.
Grant flags are temporary and revoked when the receiving task finishes.
Watch for the shared-bit flags (e.g. 0x40000000) — never mix component types.