ON PhoneGap-iOS, open external links in the external browser (Safari.app)

projectAppDelegate.m

/**
 * Note: the following function should already exist in your application delegate file.
 * Replace it with the following implementation.
 *
 * Thanks to @purplecabbage for implementation.
 * Thanks to Ruddiger for the iFrame patch.
 */

// ...

/**
 * Start Loading Request
 * This is where most of the magic happens... We take the request(s) and process the response.
 * From here we can re direct links and other protocalls to different internal methods.
 */
- (BOOL)webView:(UIWebView *)theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)request navigationType:(UIWebViewNavigationType)navigationType
{
	NSURL *url = [request URL];
	
	// Intercept the external http requests and forward to Safari.app
	// Otherwise forward to the PhoneGap WebView
        // Avoid opening iFrame URLs in Safari by inspecting the `navigationType`
	if (navigationType == UIWebViewNavigationTypeLinkClicked && [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"http"] || [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"https"]) {
		[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
		return NO;
	}
	else {
		return [ super webView:theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:request navigationType:navigationType ];
	}
}

You can add URL schemes "mailto" and "tel" as well. That way , if you have < a href=" mailto:[email protected]" > or < a href="tel:1234" >call me</ a>, they open email client and telephone app respectively.

One issue with this fix is that iframes will also open in external Safari. Here is a solution (works with 1.4.1):

/**

• Start Loading Request

• This is where most of the magic happens... We take the request(s) and process the response.

• From here we can re direct links and other protocalls to different internal methods.
  */

• (BOOL)webView:(UIWebView *)theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)request navigationType:(UIWebViewNavigationType)navigationType
  {
  NSURL *url = [request URL];

  if(navigationType == UIWebViewNavigationTypeLinkClicked && ([[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"http"] || [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"https"])){
  [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
  return NO;
  }
  else {
  return [self.viewController webView:theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:request navigationType:navigationType];
  }
  }

Nice, thanks @Ruddiger!

update - with this code you can create a iframe with inside and external links.
you need inside links? add a relative url -> test.php
you need external links? add a absolute url with http: or https and #external

• (BOOL)webView:(UIWebView *)theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)request navigationType:(UIWebViewNavigationType)navigationType
  {
  NSURL *url = [request URL];

  // Intercept the external http requests and forward to Safari.app
  // Otherwise forward to the PhoneGap WebView
  // Avoid opening iFrame URLs in Safari by inspecting the navigationType
  if (navigationType == UIWebViewNavigationTypeLinkClicked && [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"#external"] && [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"http"] || [[url scheme] isEqualToString:@"https"]) {
  [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
  return NO;
  }
  else {
  return [ super webView:theWebView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:request navigationType:navigationType ];
  }
  }