[android] how to create Socket connection in Android?

Here, in this post you will find the detailed code for establishing socket between devices or between two application in the same mobile.

You have to create two application to test below code.

In both application's manifest file, add below permission

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

1st App code: Client Socket

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TableRow
        android:id="@+id/tr_send_message"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="11dp">

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/edt_send_message"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:layout_marginRight="10dp"
            android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
            android:hint="Enter message"
            android:inputType="text" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btn_send"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginRight="10dp"
            android:text="Send" />
    </TableRow>

    <ScrollView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
        android:layout_below="@+id/tr_send_message"
        android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
        android:id="@+id/scrollView2">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/tv_reply_from_server"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical" />
    </ScrollView>
</RelativeLayout>

MainActivity.java

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.TextView;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.net.Socket;

/**
 * Created by Girish Bhalerao on 5/4/2017.
 */
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements View.OnClickListener {

    private TextView mTextViewReplyFromServer;
    private EditText mEditTextSendMessage;

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

        Button buttonSend = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btn_send);

        mEditTextSendMessage = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.edt_send_message);
        mTextViewReplyFromServer = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tv_reply_from_server);

        buttonSend.setOnClickListener(this);
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {

        switch (v.getId()) {

            case R.id.btn_send:
                sendMessage(mEditTextSendMessage.getText().toString());
                break;
        }
    }

    private void sendMessage(final String msg) {

        final Handler handler = new Handler();
        Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {

                try {
                    //Replace below IP with the IP of that device in which server socket open.
                    //If you change port then change the port number in the server side code also.
                    Socket s = new Socket("xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx", 9002);

                    OutputStream out = s.getOutputStream();

                    PrintWriter output = new PrintWriter(out);

                    output.println(msg);
                    output.flush();
                    BufferedReader input = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(s.getInputStream()));
                    final String st = input.readLine();

                    handler.post(new Runnable() {
                        @Override
                        public void run() {

                            String s = mTextViewReplyFromServer.getText().toString();
                            if (st.trim().length() != 0)
                                mTextViewReplyFromServer.setText(s + "\nFrom Server : " + st);
                        }
                    });

                    output.close();
                    out.close();
                    s.close();
                } catch (IOException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        });

        thread.start();
    }
}

2nd App Code - Server Socket

activity_main.xml

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

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btn_stop_receiving"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="STOP Receiving data"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:enabled="false"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="89dp" />

    <ScrollView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_below="@+id/btn_stop_receiving"
        android:layout_marginTop="35dp"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/tv_data_from_client"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical" />
    </ScrollView>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btn_start_receiving"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="START Receiving data"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="14dp" />
</RelativeLayout>

MainActivity.java

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.net.ServerSocket;
import java.net.Socket;

/**
 * Created by Girish Bhalerao on 5/4/2017.
 */
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements View.OnClickListener {

    final Handler handler = new Handler();

    private Button buttonStartReceiving;
    private Button buttonStopReceiving;
    private TextView textViewDataFromClient;
    private boolean end = false;

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

        buttonStartReceiving = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btn_start_receiving);
        buttonStopReceiving = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btn_stop_receiving);
        textViewDataFromClient = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tv_data_from_client);

        buttonStartReceiving.setOnClickListener(this);
        buttonStopReceiving.setOnClickListener(this);

    }

    private void startServerSocket() {

        Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {

            private String stringData = null;

            @Override
            public void run() {

                try {

                    ServerSocket ss = new ServerSocket(9002);

                    while (!end) {
                        //Server is waiting for client here, if needed
                        Socket s = ss.accept();
                        BufferedReader input = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(s.getInputStream()));
                        PrintWriter output = new PrintWriter(s.getOutputStream());

                        stringData = input.readLine();
                        output.println("FROM SERVER - " + stringData.toUpperCase());
                        output.flush();

                        try {
                            Thread.sleep(1000);
                        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                            e.printStackTrace();
                        }
                        updateUI(stringData);
                        if (stringData.equalsIgnoreCase("STOP")) {
                            end = true;
                            output.close();
                            s.close();
                            break;
                        }

                        output.close();
                        s.close();
                    }
                    ss.close();
                } catch (IOException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }

        });
        thread.start();
    }

    private void updateUI(final String stringData) {

        handler.post(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {

                String s = textViewDataFromClient.getText().toString();
                if (stringData.trim().length() != 0)
                    textViewDataFromClient.setText(s + "\n" + "From Client : " + stringData);
            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {

        switch (v.getId()) {
            case R.id.btn_start_receiving:

                startServerSocket();
                buttonStartReceiving.setEnabled(false);
                buttonStopReceiving.setEnabled(true);
                break;

            case R.id.btn_stop_receiving:

                //stopping server socket logic you can add yourself
                buttonStartReceiving.setEnabled(true);
                buttonStopReceiving.setEnabled(false);
                break;
        }
    }
}