Samuel
@samuel.fm
poll: should this be enabled by default (spoilers: it's 100x nicer than being kicked out to the web browser)
use in-app browser setting option 20 4 12
Samuel
I’m leaning towards enabled by default, because the silent majority that won’t go poking around in the settings will probably want it enabled, and those who care can go turn it off
3 4
Kuba Suder 🇵🇱🇺🇦
I don't know what the default should be… I'm strongly pro in-app browser (SFSafariViewController, not the Facebook kind), but I know others are strongly against it. Not sure what the proportion is, esp. in a more general population…
1 2
BoteComm
How does the in-app browser compare to a Real Web Browser as far as being currently updated and all? Also, I use uBlock Origin and uMatrix in my browser to keep bad stuff at bay. I'm especially careful in a mobile environment where apps hope we don't notice Bad Stuff happening.
1
Kuba Suder 🇵🇱🇺🇦
Probably differently between iOS and Android… On iOS it's the Safari engine, but other browsers are also Safari engine 🙃 I think Safari View Controller uses your configured browser extensions & blockers, but uses a separate "profile" for cookies etc.
1
BoteComm
Yeah, I'm an Android drone who rarely does anything on mobile that can be done on a desktop browser. That reminds me: I need a new roll of tin foil. BRB
2
Samuel
Yeah thats completely fair, especially for custom webview ones like Facebook etc. but this would be SFSafariViewController which I think is less dangerous
1
Barry Dorrans
But as a user it’s hard to tell. This does mean I will search for an option to turn it off though, so arguably as in app is nicer the default should be in app. Maybe the first time a link is clicked allow a choice dialog there as well as hidden in settings?
2 2
David Buchanan
I always assumed in-app browsers were used for nefarious analytics-gathering purposes rather than any actual UX benefit. What are the pros?
2 14
Samuel
you don't have to switch back to the app when you're done, you just close the screen. and it doesn't leave a trail of tabs in your actually browser
9
Jon Caruana
In-app web view doesn’t get access to your default browser’s cookies etc. Which is nice for social media apps where you are trying to be anonymous and still click links. Not applicable to here I guess with the handle I’m using.
1
Nicholas Bauer PhD
Absolutely fucking not. Apps shouldn't collect web browsing data, nor should they potentially have access to my credit card information or passwords. It is also extremely annoying to realize I've been limited by being in the fake browser, and have to go to the real browser to do what I want.
2 4
Samuel
to be fair this is SFSafariViewController not a custom webview thing that tried to steal your info
3
Nicholas Bauer PhD
And fwiw, tabs on mobile browsers are largely out-of-sight, out-of-mind for me. They might as well not exist except to allow you to go back to something you were doing earlier.
1
Matt Collins
I'm always mixed honestly. About 50% of the time I hate it opening in app, and the other half I hate them opening in the browser. I did like the way twitter did it on iOS, opening it in-app and defaulting to reader view.
1 3
Adam Fields
I always want to use the in-app browser. I don’t really care if it’s enabled by default as long as I can change it.
2
Zaratzara
No way. Internalising the application navigation context model is onerous enough (where am I, which UI controls will get me far enough back to where I was); determining that actioning an http link is a further subsidiary context within that is nightmarish.
1 2
Zaratzara
Ingenious compromise, but even if so the default option should still be to open in the browser proper. Facebook & co have a vested interest in keeping The Internet as an obscured and limited subsidiary component to their totalising application experience.
1 2
Samuel
facebook would prefer you to open a new tab in the default browser, since the in-app browser keeps a separate set of cookies and thus makes tracking harder
2 3
Zaratzara
Right but they also made a social media app that makes certain decisions about how to treat hyperlinks as part of the holistic user experience.
1 1
Zaratzara
Facebook & Twitter have determined that visiting a website ought to be a limited and controlled node within the ambit of the continuous user journey within their application. Modest chat apps don’t make that assumption, and I’m grateful for the holistic experience.
1 1
Zaratzara
If you send me a link, that’s something I choose to peruse in parallel to the context of our conversation (& maybe branch off). The benevolent assumption of in-app flow is that URLs are incidental bite sized media I skim & dispose of before sequentially getting back to my overarching Bsky existence.
Tilde Swiñton
Not true. Facebook has actually disabled opening links in the default browser (on Android anyway), so everything stays in-app. You have to download an old APK to find the option, turn it on, and then update your Facebook app to the current version to be able to do that.
2 1
Zaratzara
They do it because they’re the baddies but we’d be doing it because were the goodies ;P
joonas vataja
no! it feels fresh when the service doesn’t hold me hostage. also love it when the links take u to a native app like spotify ❣️
1 2
Samuel
that's definitely the worst part of in-app browsers - so confusing why the operating system doesn't do that automatically
1
MAR (Bluesky form)
All we should kill entirely is in-app browser. It does not share histories w/ browsers we usually use, does not provide same experiences as usual browsers, and ONLY just for the speed. No thank you.
2
multimokia
Personally for most users, I feel like they're cool with the in-app solution. As for me I will always find myself opening in a dedicated browser. It's mainly that whenever I'm opening a link on social media I intend to keep it open and continue looking through stuff.