10.4 Broadcast Intents
Another type of Intent, the Broadcast Intent, is a system wide intent that is sent out to all applications that have registered an “interested” Broadcast Receiver. The Android system, for example, will typically send out Broadcast Intents to indicate changes in device status such as the completion of system start up, connection of an external power source to the device or the screen being turned on or off.
A Broadcast Intent can be normal (asynchronous) in that it is sent to all interested Broadcast Receivers at more or less the same time, or ordered in that it is sent to one receiver at a time where it can be processed and then either aborted or allowed to be passed to the next Broadcast Receiver.