I have a web app, and when someone inserts a new order, some users have chosen to receive a link to that new order (example: www.myulr/orders/34).
Now I also have a Xamarin Forms app (it's a webview that just loads the website for now).
When they click on the link from a phone, is it possible to open the app, if they have it installed?
If it is, how can I do that? Ideally it would recognize that they have the app installed, and it would automatically point the webview to that url.
I hear about deep-linking but i can't figure out how to make it work (and if it is the right solution).
Thanks in advance!
You can take a look on this to see how deep link works on xamarin.forms.
https://blog.xamarin.com/deep-link-content-with-xamarin-forms-url-navigation/
Related
we are currently in the process of linking our web portal to our native app (iOS). In the first step, we will try to implement some Deeplinks.
Therefore it is planned to host the "apple app site association file" on the domain (e.g portal.example.com) and provide deeplinks with the help of Universal Links. However, before we start the implementation, there are some questions left:
Let's say we have only 3 URLs that should deeplink to the app. Each of them will get an own row in the paths section:
portal.example.com/functions/firstfunction
portal.example.com/functions/secondfunction
portal.example.com/functions/thirdfunction
If the User now opens the first URL, he will be asked if he wants to open it in the app, right? Let's pretend the user accepts and opens the URL in the app. What happens if he then goes back to the portal and tries to open the second URL? Will he be asked again, or will the app remember the decision and open any URL from the aasa file in the app?
What happens if we use wildcards and write the path like this:
"portal.example.com/functions/*"
Thank you and bg!
Let me first correct you:
If you use 'universal links', and you open any url, then it will not first ask you that "open in app" and then if denies then to webpage.
But it will be work in this manner:
You must be opening URL in iOS device's safari browser(it will not work for other browsers).
It will first open the webpage. If it finds 'apple-app-site-association' file on that website + It also finds the app with same path in its associated domains section installed on device. Then it will show top bar like below image:
Now, if use clicks on this OPEN button, then only your app is going to be opened. If you come back from app to website, this will remain as it is on top.
Answer to your second question: If you provide only specific domains, then the above popup will be visible only for specific webpages. If you are using wildcards, then all webpages which comes under that wild card, will have top bar like above image.
One more thing to note while you are developing above feature: Universal links get associated while you install the app OR update to new version. So, while developing app - let you have installed app without any associated domains, now you added associated domains in app, and installed app again(via xcode) on your device, and open the webpage in safari. Then above will not work. To make it work, either you have to remove/uninstall the app first and then install it again OR you have to change the version.
I implemented universal link to my iOS app. It directs user to application if url has this "www.websiteurl.com/suburl/*.com" pattern.
I want this work only if user click this url from google search result. If user is already in website I want to open url in website either not open the application. How can I prevent it?
edit: I implemented Support Universal Links documentation.
Yes, this is possible, but I don't recommend it. If the user has the app installed, it seems like you should want to open the app as soon as possible since it is a much better experience. Anyways, here's my solution.
Option 1
Short answer: Wrap your website links in javascript
Why? according to the Apple standards of Universal Links, a link must be clicked on by a user to trigger the Universal Link, therefore if you set up all of your links on your website to be handled by javascript, the app will never open from inside your website.
Therefore, change
Link
Into a javascript call
Link
And open the link from javascript
function clickLink(link) {
window.open(link);
}
Option 2 (Better option)
Use a third-party like Branch links for all of your deep linking so that you can pass more context from web to app allowing the user to continue the same experience on mobile that they were just having on the web. Native is a much better experience 99.9% of the time and it converts users at a much higher rate than web.
I have universal links working correctly, when the app is installed I see how the link opens the app, and when it's not installed opens the url in safari.
Actually what I would like to do is to redirect and go to the app store, so users can download the app directly.
Im going to include a redirect on the html file, because I know universal links don't support redirects a the http server config level (anyway I think this is for the manifest file only, apple-apps-site-association)
Anyone can confirm if this is the right way to do it, or the only way to do it? I don't like the idea to open safari first, load my html (with the redirect only) and then go to the store. Looks like there's no easier way to do it.
You're right: server-side redirects aren't allowed for the apple-app-site-association file. However, I believe once the user opens a Universal Link and (assuming the app is not installed) lands on the URL, all options are on the table (server-side, or otherwise).
If the page on the other end of your Universal Links URL contains an instant JS redirection to your app's App Store page, that should work just fine. Something like this:
window.location = 'itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imdb-movies-tv/id342792525'
But yes, no matter how you do it, Safari is still going to open. It'll flash past so quickly that the user likely won't even notice. Here's a real-time recording I just made of the Branch.io deep linking service's demo app doing exactly this process:
From here: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/General/Conceptual/AppSearch/UniversalLinks.html
"When you support universal links, iOS 9 users can tap a link to your website and get seamlessly redirected to your installed app without going through Safari. If your app isn’t installed, tapping a link to your website opens your website in Safari."
You're not doing it wrong, that's just how they work.
I'm working on an application that customer needs to show location of other devices in app.
I have a meeting with my customer and he is open in solution of doing that. So I checked my solution such as open find my iPhone application or open icloud web site.
I tried to open find my iPhone application from my application to easy to use action, but I did not find any way to do that.
Then I tried to open icloud.com in a web view, then I found this web site is not responsive and It does not show login page and other actions!!!
I have another guess to do, using could api to get this info, but Im not sure it is possible!
Could any one help me about this action? Can I do that?
There are complete websites collecting iPhone URL schemes, for example this one. But for "Find my iPhone" there is nothing, so I am afraid the answer will be "you can't". (Or nobody has added the scheme to handleopenurl.com)
I have a mobile web app designed as a single place for employees of our company to help them locate various online resources. The app has a lot of in-app content, but also provides links to external partner websites. My issue is a common one with a bit of a twist. I like the way the app looks in standalone mode on an iphone, but am struggling to figure out a solution for keeping the app in stand-alone mode, while also providing the ability to open external links in safari. I know how to keep the app in standalone mode when links are clicked, but when an external link is clicked, one of two problems occurs:
1) If I code the external link to keep it in standalone mode, there is no way to navigate back to my app from the external site as the back button is obviously no longer available.
2) If I code the external link to open in safari, when the user is done with the external link, the session for my app is closed and the user has to go back to their homescreen and re-open it again. (I know I can code it so that they will return to where they were in the session, but this is not the solution I want).
My question is this, is there a way to open external links ON TOP OF a standalone web app session? So that when the external link is closed, the standalone web app session appears?
I've read that I can use AJAX to open external links within the active session, but I don't know how to do this and can't find anything online that explains it well. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.
My app functions fine in safari, but looks SO much better in standalone mode; I would be SO appreciative if anyone can provide a solution. I am also willing to discuss paying someone to help with this as well.
Cheers,
SC
Turn your app into an actual app, not just a web site. You should implement your own web browser in your app using UIWebView. It's very simple. You probably only need a back button and a close button, you don't need a full search/address bar, bookmarks, etc. UIWebView and two buttons will do it.
As soon as you switch apps to Safari you will see the behavior you have described - there's no getting around it. Your only choice is not to exit.
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/uikit/reference/UIWebView_Class/Reference/Reference.html