Detecting if custom URL scheme is available on the device from a webpage (JavaScript)

Originator:raphael
Number:rdar://16988481 Date Originated:21-May-2014 06:37 PM
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:Safari Product Version:iOS 7.x
Classification:Enhancement Reproducible:Not Applicable
 
Problem description:

When developing our website, we'd like to be able to open Facebook / Twitter URL directly in a native app (tweetbot:// for instance, or fb:// URLs)  installed on the iPhone. It does work when the app is installed, but shows an alert if the app is not installed on the phone. We cannot determine whether the app is installed or not installed, and thus we can't use the native app. It does not seem to be possible currently. Yet this would definitely enhance the user experience, as users would rather display a twitter contact in their Twitter app than on a website if that's possible.

Proposed solution:

Could you please consider adding JavaScript API that would let webpage determine if an app is available (canOpenURL), or alternatively, have openURL with fallback URLs? I understand there might be some privacy issue to that and there might be better solutions to better handle that problem.

Thanks!

Comments


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