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Let websites framebust out of native apps

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Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#41

Post by not2b »

cortesoft wrote: post #33

I feel like I am in the extreme minority in that I pretty much never use an app for anything that already has a website. I just use the website on my phone. The experience might be slightly worse, but I much prefer just staying in the browser on my phone for everything. Reddit, Twitter, the few times I log into Facebook, are all just using a browser. I just find it simpler, and I like when the interface is the same o…

Some sites attempt to prevent you from using the browser on a phone (notably reddit, though as you say old Reddit is a workaround).

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#42

Post by eek2121 »

munk-a wrote: post #13
rawling wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a native app has as much control over the webpage as it seems to, I'd be surprised if it's not able to strip the header. Or point through a proxy that strips it, and ignore the ensuing HTTPS errors, or some other workaround.

Yea - in-app browsers are just more code... so Google could modify webkit mobile distros to adhere to this behavior but if Facebook was willing to compile their own library (which, honestly, they probably do already anyways) they would need to voluntarily comply with respecting such headers... right now I think this is do-able, app store controllers have a firm enough grasp on the market they could boot any apps that…

Apple actually has really tight quality control over the applications found on the app store. If your app is found to have a vulnerability, it goes away immediately. That is why you don't have apps with malware or apps rooting the device or apps replacing the launcher via an exploit.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#43

Post by CoastalCoder »

cortesoft wrote: post #33

I feel like I am in the extreme minority in that I pretty much never use an app for anything that already has a website. I just use the website on my phone. The experience might be slightly worse, but I much prefer just staying in the browser on my phone for everything. Reddit, Twitter, the few times I log into Facebook, are all just using a browser. I just find it simpler, and I like when the interface is the same o…

I don't know how big that minority is, but I'm part of it.

I have an Android phone, and any time a company tries pushing me to use their native app, I start counting my silverware.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#44

Post by not2b »

sally1620 wrote: post #37

Apple could solve this problem in Webkit. But Android is more complicated. On Android, third-party browser engines are allowed. Google cannot prevent an app from shipping its own browser engine for in-app browsing experience.

The app would have to get much larger if they have to bundle most of a browser with it to avoid using the browser components on the phone. But sure, they could do that.

But to be in the app store an app has to comply with the rules. Google could decide to require compliance with that header. It's no loss to them, because the consequence would be that almost all Android users would use Chrome, and the tracking in the browser would still be controlled by Google.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#45

Post by seandoe »

kitsunesoba wrote: post #14
simscitizen wrote: post #9

It looks like Twitter is using SFSafariViewController for their in-app browser. This is the system-recommended way of creating an in-app browser. It prevents the embedding app (Twitter in this case) from reading website data and injecting JavaScript into the view. You can also break out of the session into Safari pretty trivially by hitting the Safari button in the lower right corner. Apps that implement a custom web…

Came here to say this. Custom webviews like Facebook likes to use are another matter but SFSafariViewController is for all intents and purposes real Safari with per-app cookies, storage, etc to bust tracking. And I have to say, I would be pretty irritated if every site demanded to open in my main browser. Many if not most links I tap are quick one and dones I’d prefer to not clutter up my tabs.

I disagree. If it's a link to the web, I want my main, default browser everytime. No exceptions. The context switching is never an issue for me. App browsers screw up magic links too. I wish they'd go away.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#46

Post by djitz »

not2b wrote: post #41
cortesoft wrote: post #33

I feel like I am in the extreme minority in that I pretty much never use an app for anything that already has a website. I just use the website on my phone. The experience might be slightly worse, but I much prefer just staying in the browser on my phone for everything. Reddit, Twitter, the few times I log into Facebook, are all just using a browser. I just find it simpler, and I like when the interface is the same o…

Some sites attempt to prevent you from using the browser on a phone (notably reddit, though as you say old Reddit is a workaround).

It pains me greatly that somehow Reddit engulfed just about every forum on earth, because I despise the way they force you onto the app.

Their manipulation of search engines’ “last updated” parameters are also egregious.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#47

Post by hmcamp »

seandoe wrote: post #45
kitsunesoba wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Came here to say this. Custom webviews like Facebook likes to use are another matter but SFSafariViewController is for all intents and purposes real Safari with per-app cookies, storage, etc to bust tracking. And I have to say, I would be pretty irritated if every site demanded to open in my main browser. Many if not most links I tap are quick one and dones I’d prefer to not clutter up my tabs.

I disagree. If it's a link to the web, I want my main, default browser everytime. No exceptions. The context switching is never an issue for me. App browsers screw up magic links too. I wish they'd go away.

I agree. I’d prefer the exploit choice to have the link open in my default browser.

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#48

Post by charcircuit »

FridgeSeal wrote: post #18

When I used to work in mobile advertising, advertisers and tech vendors were always so desperate for this, because it would let them track users across apps and not just websites, so I’m not super sold on enabling it by default. > Seem familiar? This is framing, merely in app form. But this time, the framed website has no way to framebust. Click the safari button. It opens it in your normal browser. Better behaved ap…

If people want a feature so bad doesn't it make sense to add it?

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#49

Post by pantojax45 »

dannyphantom wrote: post #17

As someone pointed out already, Twitter does a good job with this. Reddit does a fine enough job, too. However, tiktok doesn't allow users to break out of their in-app browser. This is especially frustrating when you wish to follow an artist on Spotify WITHOUT signing into Spotify in the tiktok app.

Ironically people handle this with: link to instagram (because you can break out of browser):

link to insta => link tree in insta => get to link you like => user can click safari button…

Re: Let websites framebust out of native apps

#50

Post by cat_plus_plus »

Really, the proposal is to prevent people from implementing alternative web browsers? How about this: - Want to control the experience? Implement your own app - Want to be easily accessible to users without them having to install your app? Then accept them using any browser, including one embedded into Twitter - Want to only support specific web browser? You can try to detect them using various tricks or convince them to support DRM. But, accept that many users will be driven away.
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