Android Pick Multiple Image From Gallery Example

This example contains two buttons and one image view. When user click the first button, it will popup file browser which let user choose image. The image will be displayed in the image view.

If user select multiple images, when user click the second button, the image view will display user selected images one by one. In this example, the first image is selected from camera, the second image is selected from gallery.

If you can not watch the above video, you can see it on the youtube URL https://youtu.be/c7MaWjTmf4k

1. Main Activity Java File.

BrowsePictureActivity.java

package com.dev2qa.example.camera;

import android.Manifest;
import android.content.ContentResolver;
import android.content.ContentUris;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.graphics.Bitmap;
import android.graphics.BitmapFactory;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Build;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.provider.DocumentsContract;
import android.provider.MediaStore;
import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import com.dev2qa.example.R;

import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class BrowsePictureActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    // Log tag that is used to distinguish log info.
    private final static String TAG_BROWSE_PICTURE = "BROWSE_PICTURE";

    // Used when request action Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT
    private final static int REQUEST_CODE_BROWSE_PICTURE = 1;

    // Used when request read external storage permission.
    private final static int REQUEST_PERMISSION_READ_EXTERNAL = 2;

    // The image view that used to display user selected image.
    private ImageView selectedPictureImageView;

    // Save user selected image uri list.
    private List<Uri> userSelectedImageUriList = null;

    // Currently displayed user selected image index in userSelectedImageUriList.
    private int currentDisplayedUserSelectImageIndex = 0;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_choose_picture);

        setTitle("dev2qa.com - Android Browse Picture Example.");

        // Get display imageview component.
        selectedPictureImageView = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.selected_picture_imageview);

        // Get browse image button.
        Button choosePictureButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.choose_picture_button);
        choosePictureButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                // Because camera app returned uri value is something like file:///storage/41B7-12F1/DCIM/Camera/IMG_20180211_095139.jpg
                // So if show the camera image in image view, this app require below permission.
                int readExternalStoragePermission = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(getApplicationContext(), Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
                if(readExternalStoragePermission != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)
                {
                    String requirePermission[] = {Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE};
                    ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(BrowsePictureActivity.this, requirePermission, REQUEST_PERMISSION_READ_EXTERNAL);
                }else {
                    openPictureGallery();
                }
            }
        });

        // Get show user selected images button.
        Button showSelectedPictureButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.show_selected_picture_button);
        // When click this button. It will choose one user selected image to display in image view.
        showSelectedPictureButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                if( userSelectedImageUriList != null )
                {
                    // Get current display image file uri.
                    Uri currentUri = userSelectedImageUriList.get(currentDisplayedUserSelectImageIndex);

                    ContentResolver contentResolver = getContentResolver();

                    try {
                        // User content resolver to get uri input stream.
                        InputStream inputStream = contentResolver.openInputStream(currentUri);

                        // Get the bitmap.
                        Bitmap imgBitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeStream(inputStream);

                        // Show image bitmap in imageview object.
                        selectedPictureImageView.setImageBitmap(imgBitmap);

                    }catch(FileNotFoundException ex)
                    {
                        Log.e(TAG_BROWSE_PICTURE, ex.getMessage(), ex);
                    }

                    // Get total user selected image count.
                    int size = userSelectedImageUriList.size();

                    if(currentDisplayedUserSelectImageIndex >= (size - 1) )
                    {
                        // Avoid array index out of bounds exception.
                        currentDisplayedUserSelectImageIndex = 0;
                    }else
                    {
                        currentDisplayedUserSelectImageIndex++;
                    }
                }
            }
        });
    }

    /* Invoke android os system file browser to select images. */
    private void openPictureGallery()
    {
        // Create an intent.
        Intent openAlbumIntent = new Intent();

        // Only show images in the content chooser.
        // If you want to select all type data then openAlbumIntent.setType("*/*");
        // Must set type for the intent, otherwise there will throw android.content.ActivityNotFoundException: No Activity found to handle Intent { act=android.intent.action.GET_CONTENT }
        openAlbumIntent.setType("image/*");

        // Set action, this action will invoke android os browse content app.
        openAlbumIntent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);

        // Start the activity.
        startActivityForResult(openAlbumIntent, REQUEST_CODE_BROWSE_PICTURE);
    }

    /* When the action Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT invoked app return, this method will be executed. */
    @Override
    protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
        if(requestCode==REQUEST_CODE_BROWSE_PICTURE)
        {
            if(resultCode==RESULT_OK)
            {
                // Get return image uri. If select the image from camera the uri like file:///storage/41B7-12F1/DCIM/Camera/IMG_20180211_095139.jpg
                // If select the image from gallery the uri like content://media/external/images/media/1316970.
                Uri fileUri = data.getData();

                // Save user choose image file uri in list.
                if(userSelectedImageUriList == null)
                {
                    userSelectedImageUriList = new ArrayList<Uri>();
                }
                userSelectedImageUriList.add(fileUri);

                //getUriRealPath(getApplicationContext(), fileUri);

                // Create content resolver.
                ContentResolver contentResolver = getContentResolver();

                try {
                    // Open the file input stream by the uri.
                    InputStream inputStream = contentResolver.openInputStream(fileUri);

                    // Get the bitmap.
                    Bitmap imgBitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeStream(inputStream);

                    // Show image bitmap in imageview object.
                    selectedPictureImageView.setImageBitmap(imgBitmap);

                    inputStream.close();
                }catch(FileNotFoundException ex)
                {
                    Log.e(TAG_BROWSE_PICTURE, ex.getMessage(), ex);
                }catch(IOException ex)
                {
                    Log.e(TAG_BROWSE_PICTURE, ex.getMessage(), ex);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    /* After user choose grant read external storage permission or not. */
    @Override
    public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
        if(requestCode==REQUEST_PERMISSION_READ_EXTERNAL)
        {
            if(grantResults.length > 0)
            {
                int grantResult = grantResults[0];
                if(grantResult == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)
                {
                    // If user grant the permission then open choose image popup dialog.
                    openPictureGallery();
                }else
                {
                    Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "You denied read external storage permission.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

2. Main Layout Xml File.

activity_choose_picture.xml

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/choose_picture_button"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Choose Picture"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/show_selected_picture_button"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Show User Selected Picture"/>

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/selected_picture_imageview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>

3. Android Manifest Xml File.

AndroidManifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.dev2qa.example">

    <!-- This xml is used to add read file permission from external storage such as sdcard -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        
        <activity android:name=".camera.BrowsePictureActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

Reference

1. Android Marshmallow Runtime Permission Example
2. How To Grant Write Settings Permission In Android