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November 7, 2024 19:03
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Save davidwkeith/2662899 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
NOTE: This was a great hack in days gone by, but now both Apple and Google have improved their support for custom protocol handlers. Licensed under the WFTPL http://www.wtfpl.net/txt/copying/
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<!doctype html> | |
<html> | |
<head> | |
<meta charset="utf-8"> | |
<title>App Redirection</title> | |
</head> | |
<body> | |
<!-- | |
NOTE: This was a great hack in days gone by, but now both Apple and Google have improved their support for custom | |
protocol handlers. | |
# References | |
* Handle Open URL: http://handleopenurl.com/ | |
* iOS Smart App Banners: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/PromotingAppswithAppBanners/PromotingAppswithAppBanners.html | |
* Android Intents: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html | |
* On the desktop you still need to make a custom plugin to do the right thing, or save some sort of user prefernce. | |
--> | |
<!-- iframe used for attempting to load a custom protocol --> | |
<iframe style="display:none" height="0" width="0" id="loader"></iframe> | |
<script>(function(){ | |
// For desktop browser, remember to pass though any metadata on the link for deep linking | |
var fallbackLink = 'http://example.com/my-web-app/'+window.location.search+window.location.hash; | |
// Simple device detection | |
var isiOS = navigator.userAgent.match('iPad') || navigator.userAgent.match('iPhone') || navigator.userAgent.match('iPod'), | |
isAndroid = navigator.userAgent.match('Android'); | |
// Mobile | |
if (isiOS || isAndroid) { | |
// Load our custom protocol in the iframe, for Chrome and Opera this burys the error dialog (which is actually HTML) | |
// for iOS we will get a popup error if this protocol is not supported, but it won't block javascript | |
document.getElementById('loader').src = 'custom-protocol://my-app'+window.location.search+window.location.hash; | |
// The fallback link for Android needs to be https:// rather than market:// or the device will try to | |
// load both URLs and only the last one will win. (Especially FireFox, where an "Are You Sure" dialog will appear) | |
// on iOS we can link directly to the App Store as our app switch will fire prior to the switch | |
// If you have a mobile web app, your fallback could be that instead. | |
fallbackLink = isAndroid ? 'https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mycompany.myapp' : | |
'itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/app/my-app/idxxxxxxxx?mt=8' ; | |
} | |
// Now we just wait for everything to execute, if the user is redirected to your custom app | |
// the timeout below will never fire, if a custom app is not present (or the user is on the Desktop) | |
// we will replace the current URL with the fallbackLink (store URL or desktop URL as appropriate) | |
window.setTimeout(function (){ window.location.replace(fallbackLink); }, 1); | |
/* | |
Q&A | |
I have a native desktop app as well, how do I link to a custom protocol handler on the desktop? | |
IE Only: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537512.aspx#Version_Vectors | |
All Other Browsers: Use a custom plugin like iTunes does: http://ax.itunes.apple.com/detection/itmsCheck.js | |
*/ | |
})();</script> | |
</body> | |
</html> |
@quantumpotato You really shouldn't be using this hack anymore. Use Smart App Banners on iOS and Intents on Android.
@davidwkeith can you pass data to be loaded by the app when it boots up with smart banners?
yes, just provided an app-argument
in the content
parameters of the Smart App Banner meta tag.
See the official documentation here https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/promoting_apps_with_smart_app_banners
Thank you
Thank you
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How do you pass data to the appstore - to the itms link?