The difference between explicit intent and implicit intent in Android definition: Intent definition: Intent is a request message that is passed between different components and is the request and intent of the application. As a complete messaging mechanism, intent requires not only the sending side, but also the receiving end. Explicit intent definition: For intent that explicitly indicates the name of the target component, we call it an explicit intent. implicit Intent definition: for intent that do not explicitly indicate the name of the target component, it is called an implicit intent. Description: The Android system uses Intentfilter to find objects related to implicit intent.
Explicit intent defines the target component directly with the name of the component, which is straightforward. But because developers often don't know the component names of other applications, explicit intent is more used to deliver messages inside the application. For example, within an application, an activity initiates a service. Implicit intent instead, it does not define the target component that needs to be activated with the component name, which is more widely used to pass messages between different applications. In an explicit intent message, the only element that determines the target component is the component name, so if you have explicitly defined the name of the target component in your intent, you do not have to define the other intent content at all. For implicit intent, however, because there is no explicit target component name, the Android system must help the application find the component that best matches the intent of the intent request.
From for notes (Wiz)
Android Assault: Implicit, explicit intent
