Hello.
Here is the reproduction report I recently opened:
Summary:
Expected behavior:
@ZAvoe3Z9jR7mUCvdqpa8,
Can you go to Menu --> Brave Shields & privacy and make sure the Allow universal links to open in external apps option is toggled “on”?
@Mattches confirmed. The option to “Allow universal links to open in external apps” is enabled. For example, when I tap a URL link to the Apple App Store, the result is that the App Store app opens.
@ZAvoe3Z9jR7mUCvdqpa8,
Not seeing this on my end — just installed Wikipedia app, went to a few search engines (including DDG), tapped on a Wikipedia link that appeared in the results and the app opened right away.
I’m assuming this is an iPhone not an iPad? Going to see if anyone on the iOS team can reproduce this.
Also I’m curious — do you see this behavior with other applications? For example, if you visit another link with an associated app on your device (Youtube, Twitter, etc) do those apps open?
@Mattches really appreciate you looking at this.
I made a 10 second video of the problem. The system won’t let me upload it since I’m a new user. If you can help me with that, I’m happy to send it to you.
Here’s the workflow in my video:
Here’s a screenshot:
I tap the first link and then I see the applicable page from the Wikipedia web site. Here’s a screenshot.
To your question, no I don’t notice this problem with other applications. But, I don’t tap many deep links…except for wikipedia.
For example, links that contain the mailto: token when tapped cause Brave to ask me if I want to open my default mail app on my iOS phone which is the Proton mail app.
Same thing with a link to Apple App Store; Brave asks me if I want to open the app.
Am happy to help provide more data.
@ZAvoe3Z9jR7mUCvdqpa8,
I might see the problem here — are you using a Private browsing window when you do this? If so, that is the reason it’s not opening in the app. For pretty much anything you do in a Private window, Brave will do it’s best to keep that information contained to the Private window (for…well, for privacy reasons!).
@Mattches Yep. I have the option enabled that always uses private windows.
I turned that off, and for the previous use case, the Wikipedia app now opens. Thanks for catching that.
Is it worth it for me to attempt to contest this?
My goal as a user is to leave the smallest footprint possible when I browse websites. Keeping private mode on at all times “feels” like the better thing for me to do. However, I understand your position as well (i.e. “for privacy reasons”). I’d like to offer that Brave does prompt the user with a modal before opening a native app. I could argue that a privacy-gate is already in place.
I don’t think so. I can ask the iOS folks for you but the idea here is that anything in private, stays private. The second you open something outside of that window, it is no longer private. In your case, it’s no longer private because that app can now see/do/share/record/etc whatever it was that you were looking at (depending on the app obviously). Further, it is no longer private from someone else who is using your device (as they can open the app and see what you were looking at/doing on it — again, depending on the app).
The best way to ensure that this is the case is to keep everything in a box.
I’m having the same issue as the author of this thread, but even with the proper privacy settings, links in Brave still won’t open any apps (none, not even the App Store), on my iPhone.
