5 ms·

I hate the smartphone app trend of having embedded browsers. Just launch me to my preferred real browser. Stop trying to trap us in your ecosystem.

athenot 6y ago
Even worse when the embedded web view is not properly detecting the user-agent and puts up a banner... prompting you to download the app (looking at you, NHL).
tinus_hn 6y ago
Never mind carrying around 6 copies of Chrome on your phone
- pitaj 6y ago
  What are you talking about? Embedded browsers use the system webview, provided by Chrome, Firefox, or whatever is configured.
  - tinus_hn 6y ago
    Sure, Chrome on iOS is ‘only’ a 118 mb application! And much of that is also in Google Maps, the Google Docs apps etc.
    - marcan_42 6y ago
      Chrome on iOS isn't even a real thing, it's just an app embedding Safari like every other app with a webview (because Apple's draconian policies forbid alternate browser engines). All the other Google apps also have to use Safari for any web stuff.
      - trickstra 6y ago
        I'm surprised such draconian policies still haven't been challenged in court like Microsoft or Google have.
  - whereistimbo 6y ago
    Recent version of Android reverts the default webview to Android System WebView again.
jakelazaroff 6y ago
Are embedded browsers not usually just the system webview?
- MereInterest 6y ago
  They might hide the URL, so I can't see where the link led me. Or they might disable the usual browser menu, preventing me from bookmarking a page. Or they might have the "close tab" interaction be in a completely different location, breaking any muscle memory. If I'm following an HTTP(S) link, it means that I want to view it in a browser. I don't want to have some in-app view that can only return me to gmail, or to discord, or to google handouts, just because that happened to be where I clicked the link from. I don't care in the slightest whether the rendering engine is the same as the default browser. I care whether the user interactions are the same.
- swiftcoder 6y ago
  On iOS, yes, since Apple's rules forbid alternate browser engines. On Android, it's not unknown for apps to embed an alternate browser engine in it's entirely.
  - Kudos 6y ago
    It's extremely uncommon though, pretty sure nothing I've installed does it.
- canofbars 6y ago
  Yes but how would you even know as a user. Or how would you know that you are on the real google page.
vaccinator 6y ago
yeah and in the case of Fairemail on Android, the embedded browser is dumbed-down and lacking most features... and the option to disable this "feature" is kind of hard to find

athenot 6y ago

Even worse when the embedded web view is not properly detecting the user-agent and puts up a banner... prompting you to download the app (looking at you, NHL).

tinus_hn 6y ago

Never mind carrying around 6 copies of Chrome on your phone

pitaj 6y ago
What are you talking about? Embedded browsers use the system webview, provided by Chrome, Firefox, or whatever is configured.
- tinus_hn 6y ago
  Sure, Chrome on iOS is ‘only’ a 118 mb application! And much of that is also in Google Maps, the Google Docs apps etc.
  - marcan_42 6y ago
    Chrome on iOS isn't even a real thing, it's just an app embedding Safari like every other app with a webview (because Apple's draconian policies forbid alternate browser engines). All the other Google apps also have to use Safari for any web stuff.
    - trickstra 6y ago
      I'm surprised such draconian policies still haven't been challenged in court like Microsoft or Google have.
- whereistimbo 6y ago
  Recent version of Android reverts the default webview to Android System WebView again.

jakelazaroff 6y ago

Are embedded browsers not usually just the system webview?

MereInterest 6y ago
They might hide the URL, so I can't see where the link led me. Or they might disable the usual browser menu, preventing me from bookmarking a page. Or they might have the "close tab" interaction be in a completely different location, breaking any muscle memory. If I'm following an HTTP(S) link, it means that I want to view it in a browser. I don't want to have some in-app view that can only return me to gmail, or to discord, or to google handouts, just because that happened to be where I clicked the link from. I don't care in the slightest whether the rendering engine is the same as the default browser. I care whether the user interactions are the same.
swiftcoder 6y ago
On iOS, yes, since Apple's rules forbid alternate browser engines. On Android, it's not unknown for apps to embed an alternate browser engine in it's entirely.
- Kudos 6y ago
  It's extremely uncommon though, pretty sure nothing I've installed does it.
canofbars 6y ago
Yes but how would you even know as a user. Or how would you know that you are on the real google page.

vaccinator 6y ago

yeah and in the case of Fairemail on Android, the embedded browser is dumbed-down and lacking most features... and the option to disable this "feature" is kind of hard to find