Is there a way to prevent one app from automatically opening another app when tapping on links?
On iOS, the system prompts me for permission before an app can open a link in another app. However, on Android, it seems to happen automatically without any confirmation.
Thanks in advance!
The simplest and most generic solution is to go into the settings app and to your apps settings.
Select the app you want to prevent from opening.
Towards the bottom you should see something like “open.by default.”
Not sure exactly which version of android changed the options, but if you tap that it will either give the newer option of °in the app °in the browser
In the browser should keep the app from opening.
I find the new language is much less clear on what these do vs :
The older default links settings was to not allow app to open. Ask. Or allow.
You might also find a setting in the browser itself along similar lines of ‘allow links to open out of browser’ , ‘keep links in browser’,‘open link in app’ etc.
Also, if you like, you can also allow other preferred apps to open those links Eg:
And for more info :
thanks a lot! I have a very similar setting to yours
I have set 2 apps to “In your browser”, but one can still open another instead of opening in the browser
Maybe I missed something here?
It may not be using androids URL opening functionality but directly opening the app itself, which is possible. Would be good to know the apps involved.
is there a way to prevent this?
Request the developers to change it. Or stop using the app.
Why are the apps involved such secrets? 🤣 Porn?
I have an app called URLCheck that lets me see what link an app is trying to open and chose which browser it redirects to, along with canceling it all together. This could work for you maybe? Here’s a link to the F-Droid page for it.
That’s what I use its goated. Especially as u can configure it to auto remove trackers.
And control the ‘embedded mode’ (forgot the real name, something like “Custom tabs”) for browsers - usually I want to open a page in the full separate browser so it’s independent of the app it came from.
Yeah exactly. But I still haven’t got Instagram to open links in an external browser.
Seems to depend on the flavour of Android. What version/brand do you have? I know my Pixel asks first unless I allow it more generally.
You may be looking for the “Instant Apps” settings though. Searching “links” in your Android settinbs should provide a similar result regardless what brand of phone you have though.
Hi I am using GrapheneOS
I have set 2 apps to “In your browser”, but one can still open another instead of opening in the browser
Maybe I missed something here?
I use Graphene and have it set up to ask me. Not sure what setting that is though 😅 but it should be possible
I use the app urlcheck and have that as the default app to open all URLs (opening other apps are just special URLs). I have then turned off opening URLs for all other apps. Urlcheck then gives u a popup that let’s u decide what app opens the URL let’s u remove trackers etc.
Firefox blocks this behaviour. If you click a link hijacked by an app you can choose to continue in the other app or open it as a website.
Also, if you never set a default browser, at least on my phone, it asks which browser every time.
A longer answer to those comments already here is that it may depend on the particular app. If you are trying to prevent the browser or a system app (including perhaps the app store or assistant, among others) from being opened, it may not be possible, depending on the exact OS you are using.
Most other apps can be prevented from opening links, as described in other comments.
I’m using GrapheneOS. Is it possible to “prevent the browser or a system app (including perhaps the app store or assistant, among others) from being opened” in GOS?
Yes. Most of those settings are unlocked and you can choose your own defaults. One of the major appeals of using GrapheneOS imo
which setting does that then? (prevent an app from opening another app)
Settings > Apps > Default Apps
And in the individual app settings as described by others in this thread.
install linksheet nightly and set it to handle all links :)
thanks a lot
How is it different from URLCheck?
i actually have both but i prefer linksheet as the default since the ui is a little nicer and mimics the old android browser chooser.
i typically just use urlcheck for things like shorturls and links that i don’t know the source of, since urlcheck also shows up in the list in linksheet so i have the option to use it or another browser/app
thanks a lot!
